Police in Kibaale District have launched an investigation into the murder of God Ssekasi, a carpenter with GMH Carpentry, who was allegedly beaten to death by unidentified individuals and his body dumped in a corridor in Karuguza Town, Kibaale Town Council. Preliminary investigations suggest the murder was linked to claims that he was involved with a married woman.
Kibaale Town Council Mayor, Joseph Ssazi, revealed that Ssekasi, a resident of Lwebyayi in Mubende District, had previously been cautioned about his alleged relationship with a married woman in Karuguza. However, he reportedly ignored the warnings.
"Ssekasi was not a resident of this town; he came from Mubende and worked here as a carpenter with GMH Carpentry. There have been rumors about his involvement with a married woman. Unfortunately, it seems this escalated, leading to his death and his body being dumped in one of the corridors," Ssazi said.
The mayor also raised concerns about the increasing crime rate in the town council, emphasizing the need for collaboration between the community and law enforcement.
"Our police officers are stretched thin, so the community needs to work with them. We are witnessing a rise in crimes such as killings over land disputes, romantic relationships, and robbery. We must come together to end this," Ssazi added.
The Kibaale Central Police Station’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), led by Norbert Ochom, visited the scene and cordoned it off before transferring the body to Kibaale Health Centre IV for a postmortem. Ochom noted that investigations are ongoing but cautioned against premature conclusions.
"We were notified about this murder and are doing everything possible to identify the culprits. However, I don’t speak for the police in this region. Once investigations are complete, we will share our findings with the regional police spokesperson, Julius Hakiza. So far, no arrests have been made, and we have not yet confirmed the identity of the woman allegedly involved," Ochom explained.
Dr. Emily Kugonza, the area Member of Parliament, expressed concern over the rising cases of mob justice and urged for increased public education on lawful conflict resolution.
"Police need to intensify efforts to educate the public about the importance of reporting cases to the authorities. We’ve seen too many incidents where people take the law into their own hands based on suspicions. They are not experts, and justice must be allowed to take its proper course," Kugonza said.
