By Our Reporter
A gruesome robbery on Labour Day has left two security guards dead in Mukono District, after unknown assailants staged a violent pre-dawn raid on a petrol station, hacking the victims to death and looting cash before fleeing the scene.
The attack, which occurred around 4 a.m. at CHARD Energy petrol station along Katosi Road in Kazinga Village, Nakisunga Sub-county, was marked by brutal violence and chilling precision. The victims—65-year-old Deo Ssenabulya and 19-year-old Enyati Joseph—were reportedly ambushed in their sleep by machete-wielding attackers who stormed the premises with the clear intent to kill and rob.
Both men worked for HANK Security Services and had been stationed at the petrol station overnight. Eyewitnesses say the assailants hacked the guards to death before gaining access to the station’s office, from which they stole an undisclosed amount of money.
“The attackers showed no mercy,” said Richard Kiguli, the station manager. “They used a gun they seized from one of the guards to intimidate staff and force their way inside.”
The stolen firearm was later recovered abandoned near a railway line approximately one kilometre from the scene. Authorities believe the murder weapon was used purely as a tool of terror during the robbery, as the guards were already dead before it was deployed.
Uganda Police and UPDF officers swiftly cordoned off the area and launched a manhunt, but no arrests had been made by press time. Bloodstains near the station store shocked residents, with many comparing the crime scene to a slaughterhouse.
The attack has reignited fear in the community, particularly due to its timing and brutality. “We have never seen such violence here,” said Benedicto Kiwanuka, chairperson of Kazinga Village. “This wasn’t just theft. It was cold-blooded murder.”
He added that gangs armed with machetes appear to be resurfacing in Mukono, posing a renewed threat to businesses and residents.
Locals are now demanding urgent intervention from security agencies, citing a worrying increase in similar night-time attacks. “The area lacks consistent patrols,” said Edward Kisubika, a resident. “These criminals know that and are taking advantage.”
Police transported the bodies to Mulago Hospital for post-mortem as investigations continue. Meanwhile, shaken residents and grieving families are left demanding justice—and questioning how two lives could be taken so easily while Uganda celebrated a day meant to honour workers.
The Mukono petrol station murders are a stark reminder of the growing risks businesses face amid rising violent crime and limited nighttime security in parts of Uganda.
