By Mulengera Reporters
A family in Bugiri District is living in fear and confusion after their 25-year-old son, Zaid Bin Mohamed, a boda boda rider in Kampala, allegedly disappeared under suspicious circumstances late last month.
Zaid, who hails from Busanzi Village in Bugiri Municipality, had been working at a boda boda stage in Nakawa-Butabika, along Kampala Road.
According to accounts from witnesses at the stage, he was taken by five men and one woman, all in plain clothes but armed with guns, on May 27, 2025.
Witnesses say the armed men arrived in a white Toyota Noah vehicle bearing the registration number UBM 996E, and without much discussion or explanation, grabbed Zaid and bundled him into the vehicle, which was later seen driving off in the direction of Lugogo bypass.
No official arrest warrant or police uniform was seen at the scene, further deepening suspicions about the identity and motive of the men involved.
Since that day, Zaid’s family says they have not heard from him. His phone has remained off, and no one has reached out to them regarding his arrest or detention. Concerned for his safety, members of the family have made efforts to search for him across several police stations in Kampala.
A relative, who preferred anonymity for security reasons, explained that they have visited different police stations including CPS, Jinja Road, Kira Road, and Kireka, but none of them had any information on Zaid.
“All the police stations we’ve been to deny having him. They simply tell us they will let us know if anything comes up. It’s like he just vanished. We don’t know whether he’s alive or not,” the relative said.
The lack of information and silence from authorities has left the family in deep distress. They say Zaid had no history of crime and was simply earning a living like thousands of other young men in the capital.
The boda boda community at his Luzira-Butabika stage has also been shaken by the incident, with many of his colleagues fearing for their own safety, especially given that the men who took him did not identify themselves and offered no explanation.
While there is increasing concern over such disappearances, cases like Zaid’s often go unnoticed or unresolved. In recent years, Uganda has seen a growing number of reports of people being picked up by unknown security personnel, particularly in urban areas.
These cases rarely make it to court, and in many instances, families are left in the dark, unsure whether their people are in detention, hiding, or worse.
Security agencies have previously distanced themselves from such incidents. In many cases, spokespersons advise families to remain calm and continue checking with police. But for families like that of Mr. Kintu Mohamed in Bugiri, the uncertainty is emotionally draining.
“All we want is to know where Zaid is,” the family member said. “If he committed an offence, let the law take its course. But this silence is unfair.” As the days pass with no word, the family continues to wait and hope for news (any news) about their son.
