Police puzzled after three burnt bodies of women are dumped in Nakulabye

In the morning of Saturday, March,13, 2021, a body of an unknown female person was discovered burnt beyond recognition and dumped near the fence of the Kasubi tombs in Nakulabye, a Kampala suburb.

There was only one arm and leg left of the deceased prompting Old Kampala Police station to commence investigations into what was then thought to be a ritual murder.

Next day at the same spot, a second body was discovered prompting police to use CCTV cameras to help track the killers.

One person, the owner of a car suspected to have ferried the first body, was arrested.

With a breakthrough appearing imminent,  the following morning, a third body of a woman burnt beyond recognition was discovered dumped at the same location.

Who is killing the women in this gruesome fashion and why?

According to Steven Nsereko, the chairman Mutumba Zone six, it was a traumatic experience when they woke up to a body of an unknown person dumped in the area by unknown persons.

“My people got worried when a total of three bodies were found dumped after being killed in a similar fashion. We are in utter shock over these murders because we don’t know when they will stop,”Nsereko told The Nile Post.

"It happened in Nansana and Entebbe and we are worried it has extended to our area," he said recalling the murders of mainly young women that gripped the country a couple of years ago.

Annet Namukasa, the area vice chairperson said what was puzzling them is that the bodies are dumped at night and the perpetuators seem to be smart in what they are doing.

"Our worry is that no one has ever seen the bodies being dumped but all of a sudden in the morning, they are discovered. It becomes worse that the bodies are burnt beyond recognition," Namukasa said.

Suspected prostitutes

The locals in Nakulabye say they suspect the dead are prostitutes who develop misunderstandings with their clients.

"We have many prostitutes in this area that we think are some of the victims of these gruesome murders," Namukasa said.

However, this view was countered by Teo Nsereko, the secretary for women in the area who said the people killed are not known in the area.

"Whereas we have so many prostitutes, I don’t think they are the ones killed and dumped since none of their colleagues has ever come to report missing persons. Police must investigate where the deceased women come from," she said.

Investigations

Both the police and locals confirm the identities of the deceased are not known since they are killed and bodies burnt beyond recognition.

For example, on March,15,2021, a female Special Police Constable attached to Kawaala police station came across a fire in Nakulabye Zone 6 and upon getting closer to ascertain what was happening, she realised it was a dead body burning.

The SPC called the neighbours who put out the fire using water and it was later found out that the body was of a woman but was not known in the area.

Detectives later combed the scene to gather any pieces of evidence that could lead them to the killer but were not successful.

When the body was examined, it had a black cloth tied in around the mouth but vaginal swabs and blood samples were extracted to aid the investigations into circumstances leading to the death.

Preliminary investigations done by the City Mortuary indicated that the deceased had been killed before the body was burnt since it had several bruises; one tooth from the upper jaw had been removed whereas the body had signs of some form of struggle.

The body also had blood collected inside the skull, a sign that her head had been seriously hit on a hard surface before the death.

Puzzled

Following the discovery of the second body, police put emphasis on CCTV cameras and with the help of the UPDF, they carried out patrols during the night.

Consequently, one man, the owner of a vehicle captured by CCTV cameras was arrested and detained at Old Kampala police station but to police’s shock, the following morning, another body was dumped in the area, killed in a similar fashion just like the earlier ones.

The Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that investigations into the gruesome murders had commenced with a view of finding the culprits.

“We mounted snap checkpoints to check all vehicles leading to the area and the next morning, no report of a dead body was filed,”Owoyesigyire says.

Owoyesigyire said whereas preliminary investigations have indicated that the deceased are all women, killed from somewhere and dumped in Nakulabye, security is still trying to get to the bottom of the issue.

The development comes three years after, a wave of women murders in Entebbe and Nansana, gripped the nation. More than 25 women were killed. No one was prosecuted over the murders.

Who could be behind this new wave of gruesome murders targeting women?