Police in Mbale are on the hunt for assailants involved in the murder of Morris Kivote, also known as Okeri, early Wednesday morning.Kivote, a 43-year-old prominent molasses trader and “enguli” distiller from Nabitiri Ward, Industrial Division, was found dead with deep cuts all over his body.Elgon Region Police spokesperson Rogers Taitika revealed that the body of the deceased was discovered in the middle of Nabuyonga Rise at 5am.
Preliminary reports suggest that he had woken up early, as usual, to see off a customer about 100 metres from his home but never returned.Some speculate that he was murdered elsewhere and his body was dumped at Nabuyonga Rise.Residents have linked the murder to persistent security lapses in the city, especially along common hot spots like Nabuyonga Rise, which have become dangerous areas for new city entrants.
Kenneth Onen, the councillor for Nabitiri Ward, highlighted related incidents where three boda boda cyclists were attacked and their motorcycles stolen the same night.“As we were searching for the body, we were told that some victims were in the main Regional Referral Hospital. Upon arriving, we found three boda boda riders admitted with deep cuts, stating that their motorcycles were taken,” Onen said.
Although no arrests have been made yet in the recent incident, Taitika said several people have been arrested and prosecuted in previous attacks on members of the public.He urged the public to cooperate with security operatives by providing necessary information to help trace the perpetrators.
The elevation of Mbale to city status led to the creation of three police commands at the center and each in the two divisions, with a District Police Commander, a Resident City Commissioner, two deputies, and six assistants.However, this security detail is yet to see an improvement in security.
