Nsangi Panga Attacks: Three Suspected Ringleaders Arrested

Crime Intelligence has arrested three prime suspects believed to be behind the recent machete attacks in Nsangi and Kyengera town councils, Wakiso District. 

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango identified the suspects as Shaban Niwagaba, Eddie Turinawe, and Sulaiman Kawakki, who are currently detained at Nsangi Police Division. 

Onyango said the arrests followed intelligence-led operations over the weekend, during which detectives from the Crime Intelligence Unit tracked some of the stolen phones to Kawakki’s shop in the city. Kawakki was reportedly found in possession of numerous stolen phones linked to robberies in Nsangi and Kyengera.

“He was arrested and subsequently led our teams to the arrest of his accomplices, Eddie Turinawe and Shaban Niwagaba, who had been supplying him with phones stolen during the robberies,” Onyango said. According to Onyango, further investigations and interrogations are ongoing to identify other members of the gang responsible for the spate of machete attacks that have left several people dead, injured, and robbed in the two town councils. 

The assailants, armed with pangas, have been terrorizing residents, ambushing people on the roads and breaking into homes at night. One of the recent attacks in Kitemu Kyambazi Village left seven people critically injured and 11 homes broken into, sparking widespread fear and outrage among locals. Residents and local leaders have attributed the rising insecurity to the surge in organized attacks that have gripped Kyengera and Nsangi in recent months. 

Onyango said the three suspects are part of a wider network of violent criminals operating in Maaya, Nakitokoro, Katereke, Nsangi, Kyambazi, Kazinga, and Kyengera areas. “Niwagaba and Turinawe will face charges of murder and aggravated robbery, while Kawakki has been charged with possession of suspected stolen property, as he had been buying and reselling stolen phones. 

Police also recovered several other stolen items,” Onyango said. He added that police have stepped up night patrols—both vehicle and foot—to restore calm and prevent further attacks. Police say the arrests of the alleged masterminds are a major breakthrough and could lead to the dismantling of the gang, bringing relief to residents of Nsangi and Kyengera. The suspects are expected to appear in court next week.