Police have launched a manhunt for armed assailants who killed a private security guard and fled with his firearm after attacking a coffee storage facility in Mubende District early on Saturday.
The victim, identified as 40-year-old Joseph Mutegule, was on duty guarding Artica Coffee International stores in Kagavu Village, Budibaga Parish, Kalonga Sub-county when he was ambushed at around 5:00am.
According to police, the attackers stormed the guard’s room, assaulted him and dragged him about 200 metres into a nearby bush, where he was later found critically injured and unconscious.
The suspects escaped with a Securico-issued rifle, serial number UG30373337E104297, and three rounds of ammunition.
A caretaker at the coffee store, who had been alerted to the attack, rushed Mutegule to hospital in an attempt to save his life.
However, he died before reaching the medical facility.
Police said Mutegule had served as a security guard with Securico Company Limited for the past 15 years.
The incident was reported to Kalonga Sub-county Police Station before officers from Mubende Central Police Station, led by the District Police Commander, visited and processed the crime scene.
A police canine unit was deployed but failed to track the suspects after investigators found that the scene had already been disturbed.
The scene was documented, witnesses interviewed and the body taken to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police said investigators are working with the Regional Flying Squad Unit to identify and arrest those responsible and recover the stolen rifle before it can be used in other criminal activities.
The Wamala Regional Police spokesperson, Lameck Kigozi, urged private security companies to review the practice of deploying guards alone at high-risk installations, warning that single deployments leave both guards and protected facilities vulnerable to attack.
He also appealed to residents of Kalonga Sub-county to remain calm and provide any information that could assist investigators in tracking down the suspects.
