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Catechist killed, buried in coffee plantation as Masaka assailants strike again
Police officers at the home of the late Richard Mbaziira (inset) on August 23, 2021.PHOTO/GERTRUDE MUTYABA
What you need to know:
- The latest killing brings to 13, the number of people who have been gruesomely murdered in less than a month since unknown assailants resumed attacks in residents' homes
- On Sunday morning, assailants also raided the home of Mzee Diriisa Mukasa, 87, at Kikungwe A, Kimaanya-Kabonera Division in Masaka District and hit him dead-on spot-using a hoe.
Another man has been murdered by unknown assailants in Masaka Sub Region, less than 24 hours after an 87-year-old man was killed under similar circumstances.
The deceased who was identified as Mr Richard Mbaziira, 61, was a catechist attached to Kingo Catholic Parish in Lwengo District.
According to police preliminary investigations, the deceased was murdered in the wee hours of Sunday after assailants raided his house at Kyabbogo Village, Kkingo Sub-County.
“We have so far established that the killers found him [Mbaziira] inside his house and hit his head with a club which killed him. They later carried his body and buried it in his coffee plantation, leaving the abdomen uncovered,” Southern regional police spokesman, Mr Muhammad Nsubuga said Monday.
Police further revealed that the killers did not take anything from Mr Mbaziira’s house.
On Sunday morning, assailants also raided the home of Mzee Diriisa Mukasa, 87, at Kikungwe A, Kimaanya-Kabonera Division in Masaka District and hit him dead-on spot-using a hoe.
The latest killing brings to 13- the number of people who have been gruesomely murdered since unknown assailants resumed attacks in residents' homes in the districts of Masaka, Lwengo, Sembabule, Bukomansimbi and Lyantonde from July 22, 2021.
Kyabbogo Village chairperson Mr Kabi Ssenkatuuka said Mr Mbaziira had devoted all his life to God and the church.
‘‘He never had any known children. He was not involved in any land wrangles because the land where he built his house was offered to him by his late father and there was no one claiming it,” Mr Ssenkatuuka said.
Kkingo Sub County chairperson, Mr Aloysius Kibira urged police to carry out thorough investigations and get to the bottom of the rampant killings in the area.
“The village where this murder has happened is just next to Ttaga Village where two of our army reserve officers were murdered but police have never given us a single report about the recent killings,” Mr Kibira echoed.
Lwengo DPC Francis Okongo addressing Kyabbogo Village residents on August 23, 2021. PHOTO/GERTRUDE MUTYABA
A few hours after the incident, the southern regional police commander, Mr Paul Nkore rushed to the scene and urged residents to be vigilant.
Murder everyday
“I have just been posted to Masaka where I have barely spent one month but to my dismay, a person is killed every day,” Mr Nkore said before blaming residents “for failing to report criminals yet they know some of them.’’
