Busia Municipal Enforcement Officer Stabs to Death by Hawker During Trade Order Operation

A routine revenue collection and trade order operation in Busia District turned fatal on October 23 when a municipal enforcement officer was stabbed to death by a hawker along Tororo Road.

The victim, Tusker Ofubo, also known as Master, served as a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) reservist attached to the Busia Municipal Council. According to eyewitness accounts, the confrontation began after Ofubo intercepted a vendor who was selling electrical goods in a non-gazetted area and confiscated his stock of USB phone chargers.

Witnesses stated that the hawker, who also sold knives, engaged Ofubo in a physical altercation before drawing a sharp weapon and stabbing him multiple times. Despite managing to walk to a nearby shop, Ofubo bled profusely and collapsed, passing away before emergency medical help could arrive.

Following the attack, Ofubo’s enforcement colleague briefly managed to grab the suspect. However, an intervention by an angry mob allowed the vendor to break free, after which a boda boda rider reportedly helped him escape. Authorities suspect the fugitive may have crossed the border into neighboring Kenya.

Busia District Police Commander Grace Nyangoma confirmed the incident, stating that a manhunt has been launched to apprehend the suspect. Local leaders and relatives mourned Ofubo as a dedicated and hardworking public servant who was simply executing his official duties.

Read the full story on the Daily Monitor.