opinion 15 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
When the State Abuses Power: The Normalization of Public Sector Mob Action
The article argues that 'mob action,' often seen as street violence, is deeply entrenched within Uganda's public sector, leading to a normalization and justification of extra-legal actions by state agents. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/columnists/nicholas-sengooba/what-s-done-outside-the-law-is-mob-action-5497058
The recent brutal murder of rugby player Sydney Gongodyo by a mob highlights a disturbing trend: the institutionalization of ‘mob action’ within Uganda’s public sector. This phenomenon, often dismissed as private vigilantism, extends to state operatives who bypass legal procedures, acting with impunity under the guise of maintaining order or national security.
Mob action, fundamentally, is characterized by a disdain for due process and an excessive belief in one’s own righteousness, leading individuals or groups to take the law into their own hands. While ordinary citizens engaging in such acts might be labeled as perpetrators of ‘private sector’ mob action, the article points to a more insidious ‘public sector’ equivalent. This involves state agents, particularly security forces, who engage in what is euphemistically called police brutality but is, in essence, mob action.
Historical examples abound, from the ‘Black Mamba’ raid on the High Court in 2005 to the ‘Kiboko Squad’ that brutally dispersed demonstrators. More recently, during elections, security forces have been accused of widespread violence against opposition supporters and journalists, a clear violation of constitutional rights. The Public Order Management Act of 2013 is cited as an attempt to legitimize such actions, with officials misinterpreting it to curtail freedoms.
The article also details the use of unmarked vehicles (‘drones’) for abductions, prolonged detentions beyond legal limits, torture, and disappearances, exemplified by cases like John Ddamulira and John Bosco Kibalama. Even threats from high-ranking officials to constituents or political opponents mirror the lawlessness of street mobs. These actions, including President Museveni’s comments about putting Kenyans in the ‘fridge,’ are stark reminders that when state actors operate outside the law, the result is indistinguishable from mob action.