A cloud of fear hangs over Bukango Sub-county in Bukomansimbi District as police deepen investigations into a series of gruesome murders that have claimed the lives of at least four women in the past year, with several others still missing under unclear circumstances.
What began as isolated disappearances has evolved into a disturbing pattern of killings, prompting urgent action from law enforcement and raising alarm among residents who say the community has long endured mysterious deaths.
On Friday morning, a team of armed police officers, some in uniform and others in plain clothes, stormed Bukomansimbi Police Station under the leadership of District Police Commander (DPC) Aggrey Francis Kyesimire.
Their mission was to extract five suspects believed to be part of a murder ring terrorizing the district.
The suspects — Robert Kimbugwe, Mugabi Godfrey, Agaba Julius, Mulamuzi, and Moses Kabogere, all residents of Bukango Sub-county — were taken to Bukango Village to reconstruct events at crime scenes and assist investigators in gathering crucial evidence.
Police allege the group was involved in the murder of Hadijah Nalujira, a resident of Kyaterekera Village, who was found brutally killed and dumped in Kyanamirira dam.
Kabogere reportedly confessed that the suspects abducted and murdered their victims while attempting to destroy evidence to evade capture.
He detailed the abduction of their most recent victim, Aisha Namirembe, on the night of October 29. According to Kabogere, a Tipper truck driven by Kimbugwe stopped near a trading centre where Namirembe was walking home.
Two men, including one identified as Ssegirinya, allegedly forced her into the truck, later murdering her in a nearby garden and disposing of her body in the dam.
Kabogere claimed that Kimbugwe personally slit Namirembe’s throat and that the group engaged in ritualistic practices, including beheading the victim.
Subsequent searches at the suspects’ homes uncovered blood-stained clothes, pangas, mobile phones, and ceremonial garments believed to be linked to the killings.
Investigators also recovered hidden pits where the suspects allegedly buried their clothes after each murder.
The murder of Nalujira shocked the community. Her body, partially stripped and showing signs of sexual assault and torture, intensified fears of ritualistic killings.
George William Ssebuuma, Bukango Sub-county Chairperson, said residents are terrified.
“We have lost several women under the same circumstances — Kizza Nakintu, Nalujira, Namirembe, and others still missing,” he said.
“We need thorough investigations by police.”
A resident, Florence Nansamba, described the horrific scene.
“Her face was covered, she was only in a bra, and sticks were inserted into her private parts. I saw two men fleeing the area,” she recounted.
DPC Kyesimire convened a community meeting, assuring residents that the murder syndicate would be dismantled. He cautioned against mob justice and urged cooperation with investigations.
Bukomansimbi District has a long history of unexplained killings. Since 2016, cases involving women, children, and men have remained unresolved, fueling speculation about ritualistic motives linked to wealth-seeking practices.
Residents now hope that these latest arrests will finally illuminate the dark shadow that has haunted Bukomansimbi for nearly a decade.