Police in Mukono District has arrested a boda boda rider on allegations of targeting female passengers and raping them in isolated areas during travel.
The suspect is Asumani Owere, a 30-year-old resident Kitega Village, Kawolo Sub County in Buikwe.
‘‘The territorial Police in Mukono is holding Asumani Owere, 30, a boda boda rider, resident of Kitega Village, Kawolo Sub County in Buikwe District for allegedly targeting his unsuspecting female passengers and raping them in isolated areas after putting them on knife point’’.,” police said in a statement.
Owere is also alleged to have robbed his victims of their belongings after raping them.
Seven rape victims have reported cases at police where two of the victims have positively identified Owere as their attacker.
According Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, the arrest of the suspect followed community initiatives to identify the criminal.
Owoyesigyire said that the community members arrested Owere as he was attempting to rape a female victim in a bush at Nakapinyi Village in Nama Sub County in Mukono district.
“They later handed him over to the police that escalated investigations and was able to track his movements using the CCTV camera system. The victims and suspect have recorded statements that will be used in the prosecution,” said Owoyesigyire.
Relatedly, an increasing number of women have either been raped or attempted to be raped and robbed in the area by a group of people who pretend to be boda boda riders in Uganda according to reports.
Last week, one suspect was also arraigned in court on the same charges.
The police remind passengers to remain vigilant and only use motorcycles they find at gazetted stages to avoid being targeted by criminals.