Highway terror: Armed robbers disguised as passengers hijack Kampala-bound taxi, vehicle recovered in Soroti

Police in Budaka District are investigating a daring highway robbery in which armed thugs disguised as passengers hijacked a Kampala-bound taxi, robbed occupants at gunpoint, and fled with the vehicle.

The incident occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, between 2am and 3am at Sekulo Parish, Kadimukoli Sub-county, along the notorious Mbale–Tirinyi highway.

According to Bukedi North Police Spokesperson, ASP Wilfred Kyempasa, the taxi—a Toyota Hiace, registration number UBK 775H—had departed Mbale City under the cover of night.

"It is alleged that at Kamonkoli Town, a passenger in the co-driver’s seat, dressed in black clothing with a Ugandan flag emblem, suddenly pulled out a firearm and ordered everyone to lie down," ASP Kyempasa said.

Two male accomplices among the passengers then assaulted the victims, forcibly stripping them of cash, phones, and other valuables. The thugs later forced the driver off the steering wheel at Sekulo Parish, dumped all occupants by the roadside, and sped off.

A case of aggravated robbery was registered under Kamonkoli CRB 058/2026. A scene-of-crime team led by Sgt Joseph Oriokot has since documented the area for evidence.

Vehicle recovered

In a swift breakthrough hours later, the hijacked vehicle was intercepted over 100 kilometers away. The Regional Police Commander for East Kyoga, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Hajj Ibrahim Saiga, confirmed the recovery in Soroti City.

"The vehicle is currently parked at Soroti Central Police Station. We appreciate the public-police cooperation that led to this quick recovery, and we assure the public that efforts to track the suspects are ongoing," ACP Saiga stated.

Growing highway terror

This method of operation mirrors a worrying trend of highway criminality across Uganda, where thugs board public transport pretending to be travelers, only to turn on unsuspecting victims in isolated areas.

The Mbale-Tirinyi and Mbale-Iganga axes have historically been hotspots for such ambushes. Over the years, police have issued several warnings to taxi operators against picking up passengers at unregulated stages during late-night hours.

Similar incidents on major highways, including the Kampala-Gulu and Kampala-Masaka roads, have previously prompted the police to deploy motorized highway patrols. Security agencies continue to urge transport associations to implement mandatory passenger identification logging before departure to curb the rising tide of transit-based violent crime.

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