Mbeya Residents Demand Security Protection After Release of Crime Suspect

What the report says

Residents of Mbeya Island in Mukono District are calling for security protection after Jackson Ssebitosi, also known as “Big Pig,” was released on bail, according to Watchdog Uganda. Community members say they fear his return to the island because of allegations linking him and others to violent incidents in the area. The report says Ssebitosi had been arrested on a court order after missing proceedings in a case where he is jointly charged with Yasin Kasirye and others over attempted murder and robbery.

Watchdog Uganda reports that Ssebitosi spent about two weeks on remand before being released from Kauga Prison on Thursday, ahead of a hearing set for October 7, 2026, before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mukono. The article says the case involves the alleged assault of Fredrick Namara Karuhanga in March 2023, in which Namara was reportedly badly beaten, burned and left unconscious near Lake Victoria before being rescued by marine officers.

The publication also links the current tensions to earlier allegations involving the same suspects, including a separate murder case in which Fred Ntambi died after an attack while fishing on Lake Victoria in March 2023. Residents quoted in the story accuse security authorities of failing to protect the community and claim that influential figures have helped secure the suspects’ release, allegations that are not resolved in court.

More broadly, the report places the protests in the context of a continuing land dispute on Mbeya Island and wider concerns about intimidation, witness safety and enforcement of court orders. Watchdog Uganda notes that the criminal and civil matters remain pending and that the accusations against the named individuals have not been finally determined by court.