Kigezi regional police spokesman Elly Maate said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on June 5, 2025, at Natete village, Chihe parish, Nyakinama sub-county, Kisoro district.
The victims were identified as Rogers Irankunda, 30, a businessman; Gideon Kamugisha, 52, a businessman; Silvan Kiizakola, 36, a businessman; Stephen Busekuro, 41, a businessman; and Edward Ssebahima, 42, a farmer. All victims are residents of Kangoma village in the same parish.
According to Maate, the victims were sitting at Irankunda’s shop, consuming a local brew known as kashera, when two men attacked them. One assailant was armed with an AK-47 rifle, while the other wore a face mask. The suspects ordered the victims to lie down and surrender their belongings.
Initially, the victims hesitated, believing the assailants might be security personnel. However, the armed suspect fired a warning shot into the air, prompting the victims to comply out of fear for their lives. They handed over their possessions to the unarmed suspect.
Irankunda reported losing 800,000 Ugandan shillings and two phones. Kiizakola was robbed of 580,000 shillings and two phones. Kamugisha lost 18,000 shillings and one smartphone, while Busekuro was stripped of 2 million shillings and a smartphone. In total, the robbers made off with 3,398,000 Ugandan shillings and six phones.
After collecting the items, the unarmed suspect entered Irankunda’s shop and took a polythene bag containing an additional 800,000 shillings. The armed suspect then began firing random bullets as they fled the scene.
Local residents immediately alerted the District Police Commander (DPC) Kisoro, SP Nuwamanya, who promptly responded with a patrol team, the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) commanding officer, and a canine unit. Crime scene investigators documented the area and recovered three cartridges, two live bullets, and one projectile.
Police also discovered that Irankunda’s shop had CCTV cameras, and footage of the entire robbery was captured. No victims were injured during or after the incident.
Maate stated that inquiries are ongoing to guide the investigations. Police appeal to anyone with information that could lead to the apprehension and prosecution of those involved to come forward.
