crime 19 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Kampala Police Bust Teen-Led Gang Hideout in Major Crackdown
Uganda Police, alongside army and KCCA teams, raided a Nakivubo Channel hideout, arresting 18 teenage suspects linked to robberies along Entebbe Road's Clock Tower stretch. The operation is part of a broader sweep detaining 118 youths aged 12-20 for muggings, phone snatches, and vehicle number plate thefts. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/teens-among-main-suspects-in-kampala-gang-crackdown-5429570
Security forces in Kampala have dismantled a notorious hideout for criminal gangs along the Nakivubo Channel, capturing 18 suspects mostly teenagers from makeshift shelters. These structures, built with tarpaulins and iron sheets and marked with gang graffiti like ‘De Baddest’ and ‘Young Money,’ served as bases for attacks on motorists and pedestrians near the Clock Tower on Entebbe Road.
The joint operation, involving police, military, and Kampala Capital City Authority enforcers about two weeks ago, razed the illegal setups near the railway reserve. Authorities recovered knives, hammers, drugs, and over 100 stolen vehicle plates from a key suspect who targeted parked cars at night, extorting owners for returns.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire noted the raids hit public-identified hotspots amid complaints of phone snatches and assaults during rush-hour jams in the business district and major routes. This single-day effort nabbed 118 across the metro area, with most suspects between 12 and 20 years old, many rural migrants turned street criminals.
The crackdown extends beyond Kampala, addressing similar thefts in Wakiso’s Entebbe, Kisubi, Mpala, and Abayita Ababiri. Nationally, police have arrested nearly 10,000 suspects since January.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)