At least two people are facing murder charges in Uganda following separate incidents in which two fans of English Premier League club Arsenal were killed after clashes over football results.
A youth councillor in the capital Kampala died from stab wounds after stepping in to break up a fight which followed Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup on Friday, police said.
Allan Kakumba was rushed to the national referral hospital in Mulago following Sunday’s knife attack but died moments after admission, Daily Monitor newspaper reports.
Police said in a statement that two suspects were in custody.
“We shall be arraigning the suspect in court soon,” Luke Oweyesigire, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, told the BBC.
Mr Oweyesigire said Kakumba, 25, had intervened when his brother Titus Kyendo was caught in the middle of a fierce argument between the Arsenal and Man City fans.
In another incident, an Arsenal fan was bludgeoned to death in the West Nile district of Adjumani.
Richard Ukuyo was hit on the back of the head with a club after infuriating an anguished Manchester United supporter following Arsenal’s victory against them last month.
Police said the deceased was a renowned Arsenal fan.
He had been arguing over Eddie Nketiah’s last-gasp goal, with the suspect holding out that the Arsenal striker had been offside in the build-up to the goal, according to local online site Daily Express.
Ukuyo succumbed to his injuries at Mungula health centre, the website reported.
The resurgence of Arsenal this season has given fans rare hope, bordering on hysteria.
When Arsenal beat rivals Manchester United 3-2 in January to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League, eight Arsenal fans were arrested in the eastern city of Jinja after they stormed the streets to celebrate the win.
Felix Bagiire, a radio presenter and leader of the group, told the BBC that they had wanted to taunt Manchester United fans after the victory.
Police said the group did not have a permit to hold the procession, which is a public order offence in Uganda.
“Does one really need a permit to be excited, to celebrate?” asked Mr Bagiire, whose group was released unconditionally after spending a night in custody.
Article share tools
