Pallisa district has witnessed a shocking trend of murders, where victims are killed and their bodies dumped on the road to make it appear as accidents.
The first incident occurred on June 23, 2024, when the lifeless body of 52-year-old Otukei Balaba was found smashed in the middle of Tirinyi-Pallisa road.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Balaba was last seen enjoying local brew with his lover Esther at a drinking joint until around 11pm.
He was not seen again until his body was found the next morning.
Autopsy reports showed that Balaba's body had multiple cuts on his hands, palm, head, and other parts of the body, indicating that he was murdered elsewhere and his body dumped on the road according to the police report.
Two suspects, Mande Boloi (38) and George Okodole (60), both residents of Limoto Village in Boliso parish, were arrested in connection with the murder.
Just a day after this gruesome incident, another suspected murder was reported.
The body of a young man between 25-30 years old was found on Pallisa-Kumi road near Busitema University.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim suffered blunt trauma due to strangulation marks on his body.
Police also established that the victim’s body was pulled onto the road and vehicles ran over him, to make it appear as an accident.
The lifeless body was retrieved and taken to Pallisa General Hospital pending post-mortem and identification.
No arrests have been made yet as investigations are ongoing.
Bukedi North acting police spokesperson Samuel Semewo confirmed both murders .
This new trend of murders has set a chilling precedent in the community, leaving residents in fear for their lives.
The change from previous cases where murders were disguised as death by hanging, with scenes reconstructed to foil investigations, is a significant concern for the police.
Police is working closely with the community to bring those responsible to justice and ensure that the community remains safe.
The police are also investigating whether there is any link between the two murders and if they are connected to organized crime groups or individuals.
The investigation is ongoing, and more details will be released as they become available.
