Prime
Four people killed in 3 weeks
Ntungamo- At least four people have been hacked to death at Ihunga Sub-county, Kajara County in Ntungamo District in the last three weeks, triggering fear among the residents.
A machete-wielding man on March 29, attacked and killed a 12-year-old child Francis Beinomugisha and injured other two people in Rutooma Village in Nyakibigi Parish.
A day later, Kitondo Parish chairperson Wilson Beebwa was killed by what locals suspect to be the same machete-wielding man while an old woman, Beatrice Gahiire of Rwashamaire Town Council was found dead in a pool of blood in her house.
Last Monday, an employee of Centenary Bank in Rukungiri, Samson Mugisha, was found dead at Rujumo Village in Ihunga Sub-county. His assailants are yet to be known.
Residents of Mitooma Village say they had received letters warning of imminent attacks.
Mr Mohamed Magoba, one of the residents, says after Beinomugisha’s death, “a letter announcing attack on some families was in February placed at the home of Joseph Kwesiga and the matter was reported to police”.
Ihunga Sub-county chairperson Jackson Rubagyera says the attacks have caused worry among the residents because they have heard of a number of similar incidents in Masaka District.
Kajara County MP Michael Timuzigu says police should conduct deeper investigations into the killings.
“We cannot take these incidents lightly, these are many people being killed. I think we need to have more investigations and the culprits are arrested to calm the hearts of residents. Some people are now thinking that the machete men have moved to Kajara. It may not be the case but security needs to come up and tell the people what exactly is happening,” says Ms Timuzigu.
Police have confirmed the murders but they say some are related to domestic violence.
“Some of them are mysterious but others, the causes are well known. In some of the cases, we have suspects who are aiding us in investigations,” Mr Damian Twesiime, the Ntungamo District Police Commander, says.
Ntungamo police officer in charge of crime investigations Godes Twinamatsiko also says the murders are mainly domestic violence related and that the community should not get terrified.
He adds: “In the first incident of Mitooma Village, the person who may have committed this must have not been in a right mind. A person who has an intention and is in right mind cannot attack in daylight. The panga (machete) he used, he took it from a woman who he also cut and then went ahead to attack children. Why attack children if it was his intention such as the incidences you hear of from other areas?”
He rules out organised killings, although he notes that they have intensified investigations and community policing. He further says their worry as police has always been mob justice.
Previous attacks
The attacks on the people of Ntungamo are not in isolation.
For more than two years, Greater Masaka Sub-region has faced a wave of attacks on people’s homes and several murders that attracted the intervention of the former Inspector General, Kale Kayihura and President Museveni.
One of the ring leaders, who escaped from court on March 1, and eluded recapture was last Monday night killed by the mob after robbing victims of cash and other valuable items in Mukoko, Kalungu District.
Initially, the attacks were tagged to suspected rebels and other subversive activities but the claim was latter dropped.
Preliminary intelligence suggested that some of the residents are circulating the leaflets in order to have the security beefed up in the area.
The attacks on women especially in Entebbe and Nansana municipalities, among other places, has left many unanswered questions, although several suspects have since been arrested and remanded to various prisons.
