Uganda Police Force in Tororo District is hunting for a yet to be known thugs that broke into a residence and killed a security guard.
The thugs also stole a 50kg bag of rice stocked by a tenant to take his family through the period of coronavirus partial lockdown.
As soon as the country reported its first case of coronavirus last week, many Ugandans started shopping and storing essential non-perishable foodstuffs in anticipation of a total lockdown.
A resident of Tororo District, Ms Merab Mukhaye, at the weekend said their gateman was killed by unknown intruders last Thursday night.
She said the watchman, in his 70s, was found lying in a pool of blood at the gate last Friday night.
He was later rushed to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The thieves also broke into a house of one of their neighbours who had had travelled to Kampala to pick his family members.
Mr Mukhaye said the thieves took a spare tyre of a car which was outside the compound.
“When we called the neighbour on phone after the incident, he told us he had left some stored food in the kitchen and some money in his bedroom. However, his bedroom was not broken into. Only the kitchen was,” she said.
“We are living in fear because we do not know if these people will come back. Police have been deployed and they are investigating the incident,” she added.
The Tororo District Police Commander, Mr Rodgers Chedne, confirmed the incident saying the gateman was overpowered by the thugs. He did not identify the deceased.
“We have deployed a number of officers doing both foot and motorised patrols at night because traders who have closed their shops in town must have their commodities secured,” Mr Chedne said.
Many people have been raising concern over how police are securing their food after many people lost jobs and are idle in the community.
Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, said: “We are aware that there are some people who will take advantage of the situation to commit crime, but we have worked on a disaster contingency plan to enforce policing across the country.”
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