Gomba, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Former Kifeesi gang leader, Paddy Sserunjogi, widely known as Sobi, met his demise during a tumultuous land eviction in Maddu, Gomba. The Katonga region police spokesperson, Superintendent Karim Majid, confirmed Sobi’s death, attributing it to an attack by a mob armed with sticks, pangas, and spears. The clash occurred on a disputed piece of land in Kibaale LC one, Kigumba parish, Maddu subcounty, Gomba district.
The land in question, purchased by Kalisa for shs100 million in 2007, sparked the conflict as another group, claiming to be descendants of late Paul Kibi, contested ownership. Legal battles ensued, with the dispute reaching the courts. Allegedly hiring goons from Kisenyi, Kampala, to clear the land, the conflicting groups clashed on Monday, resulting in Sobi’s death.
Sobi gained notoriety in 2017 as the confessed leader of the Kifeesi criminal gang, which wreaked havoc in Kampala through operations involving petty theft, armed robberies, and, at times, murder. Despite periodic arrests and incarcerations, Sobi and his gang consistently secured release on bail, resuming criminal activities.
Notably, Sobi’s involvement extended beyond criminal activities; he played a role in land grabbing. In 2021, he forcibly fenced off four acres of a swamp in Nakuwadde village, Bulenga, Wakiso district. In 2022, he posed as a Special Forces Command soldier to seize a five-acre plot from a 94-year-old man in Mukono. Sobi justified his actions by claiming to have purchased 20 acres from the elderly man, Musa Mwanje, prior to the latter’s demise. This claim, however, was mired in incomplete transfer processes, leading Sobi to take drastic measures to secure the contested land.
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The circumstances surrounding Sobi’s death are under investigation, with police officers on the ground collecting details, including injuries sustained and the possibility of additional casualties.
