They say a thief has 40 days; the owner has one day.
This is what is obtaining in Busoga, where for months boda-boda riders have lived in fear along Jinja-Kamuli road, in Buwenge Town Council, Butagaya Sub- County and Kagoma Town Council.
Riders have been waylaid at night, hit with iron bars and pangas, strangled and stripped of their motorcycles which disappear into garages and are resold as numberless bikes or spare parts in Ndeeba near Kampala.
The thieves have had their 40 days of feasting, but last week, the owner had his day.
Kiira Regional Police Command has dismantled the motorcycle theft syndicate behind the terror, putting twelve suspected ring leaders on remand at Kirinya Prison and impounding nineteen suspected stolen motorcycles.
The major operation was confirmed to The Exposure Uganda on Saturday, October 3, 2026, by Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson SP James Mubi.
Mubi said the intelligence-led sweep was sanctioned by the Regional Police Commander Kiira Region SSP Charles Nsaba in September, who ordered coordinated joint security operations targeting all known hotspots and individuals associated with motorcycle theft and movement in Jinja District and beyond.
According to Mubi, SSP Nsaba made it clear that motorcycle theft will continue to receive focused attention because stolen motorcycles are used to conceal and facilitate other grave crimes including human trafficking, murder, defilement, aggravated robberies, land grabbing and public disorders.
The operation on the ground was commanded by the District Police Commander Kiira North SP Salama Namutosi, who led the coordinated sweep that broke the ring in her area of responsibility, although police say the scale of the criminality stretches across the entire Busoga sub-region and the country.
Suspects and Recoveries.
Twelve accused persons have been arrested, arraigned before court and remanded at Kirinya Prison. They are Seruwano Moses, Kibikyo Abu, Muwiiri Emmanuel, Ngobi Julius, Magala Akiram, Kiyuba Matia, Mugabo Patrick, Musobya Badiru, Isabirye Samuel, Watongola Bernard, Kirya Isa and Kiranga Samuel.
Nineteen suspected stolen motorcycles have been impounded including four numberless ones. They are UFQ 255P, UDM 873D, UFH 971X, UET 573X, UDL 815W, UFF 465U, UDY 848R, UFU 408S, UDQ 833E, UEV 025Q, UMA 458 JB, UFP 717M, UMA 639KX, UDU 133F and four numberless motorcycles.
SP Namutosi has reaffirmed commitment to restore sanity along the Jinja-Kamuli highway and its surrounding town councils. Mubi noted that the sweeping intelligence-led operations will extend to all other policing divisions in Kiira.
What the Law Says.
Under the Penal Code Act Cap 120, motorcycle theft carries heavy penalties.
Section 254 defines theft and Section 261 provides general punishment of imprisonment not exceeding ten years.
Section 265 is specific to vehicles. It states that if the thing stolen is a vehicle, the offender is liable to seven years imprisonment. Under Ugandan law, a motorcycle is classified as a motor vehicle.
Where violence or a weapon is used against the rider, the offence becomes aggravated robbery under Sections 285 and 286, which upon conviction by the High Court attracts the death penalty.
Section 314 covers possession and handling of suspected stolen property. Those who buy, hide, dismantle or resell stolen bikes face up to seven years in jail.
What Counts as a Deadly Weapon?
Section 286(3) as amended by the Penal Code Amendment Act 2007 defines a deadly weapon to include any instrument made or adapted for shooting, stabbing or cutting, any imitation of such instrument, and any substance which when used for offensive purposes is capable of causing death or inducing fear that it will cause death or grievous harm. It also includes any substance intended to render a victim unconscious.
In practice, courts have held that a panga, knife, iron bar and even a toy gun qualifies. A toy pistol used to rob a boda-boda motorist is treated as a deadly weapon if it induces fear in the victim, elevating the charge to aggravated robbery.
National Context.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2025, 5,752 cases of motorcycle theft were reported nationally in 2025 compared to 6,311 in 2024. Aggravated robbery of motorcycles stood at 468 cases compared to 510 in 2024, an 8.2 percent drop. Police recovered 294 out of 470 motorcycles robbed.
Kampala Metropolitan registered the highest with 217 cases, followed by Masaka East with 40 and Kiira Region with 32 cases. At district level, Jinja registered 24 cases, placing it among the top hotspots nationally.
Police have asked members of the public whose motorcycles were stolen to report to Kiira Regional Police headquarters in Jinja with proof of ownership to identify the recovered bikes.
