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Residents discover new body hours after 70-year-old woman killed in Masaka
Locals react as the body of the man is put on a vehicle on August 26, 2021. PHOTO/GERTRUDE MUTYABA
What you need to know:
- Several people gathered on August 26, 2021 at the crime scene after the body of a man was discovered in crime-hit Masaka City.
- On Thursday, authorities in Masaka were still hunting for machete-wielding criminals that attacked and pitilessly slayed Ms Annet Nampijja within the same village on August 25 at around 8pm.
Masaka residents on Thursday discovered a corpse of a 35-year-old man just hours after a 70-year-old woman was brutally killed from her home by unidentified assailants on Wednesday night.
The body of the man identified by police as Mr Peter Mayanja alias Yeye- was found at Bisanje near the area parish in Kimanya, Kabonera Division in Masaka City.
According to the vice chairman Kasaali Village in Kimanya, ‘‘the deceased was a casual worker at Bisanje Parish and was reportedly coming from the parish to have supper at the time he was allegedly murdered.’’
On Thursday, authorities in Masaka were still hunting for machete-wielding criminals that attacked and pitilessly slayed Ms Annet Nampijja within the same village on August 25 at around 8pm.
According to Mr Abel Mukisa, her ‘‘mother was cooking food with her two grandchildren in the kitchen adjacent to their house before assailants attacked her.’’
"All of them were there by the time of the attack as Ms Nampijja was hacked with a machete to death before about four criminals dressed in black with hoods and black face masks took off," Mr Mukisa told Daily Monitor.
The assailants, he says, never harmed the kids but fled the scene after neighbours advanced to rescue in response to alarm.
The body of the old lady is pictured in her compound on August 25. PHOTO/WILSON KUTAMBA
Southern region police spokesperson, Mr Muhammad Nsubuga said security forces rushed to the scene and took the body of the deceased to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for post-mortem.
"The assailants have continued to terrorise locals in various areas of greater Masaka and security is jointly hunting them and we shall defeat them if the communities collectively work with us," he appealed.
No insights have been issued by security forces on the assailants that have terrified the region over the last one month, murdering up to 19 people.
A Daily Monitor tally shows six of these have died between August 22-26, 2021, according to official data.
“We are not sure of who is next. Today is Masaka, tomorrow Lwengo the other day Sembabule and the assailants are not stealing anything but they target lives of our people,” Ssettaala Village LC I chairman, Mr Vincent Ssewajje whose son, Ronald Ssebyoto was attacked and severely injured Monday told Daily Monitor.
Meantime, the police and army have warned natives that they will heighten operations in all Southern Region territories ‘‘to contain deadly machete wielding criminals while using both foot and motorized means.’’
“Whoever is found moving beyond curfew time may be treated as a suspect since the killings are committed past or during curfew [hours],” Masaka Regional Police Commander, Mr Paul Nkore said.
He appealed to the public to be conscious during night hours and create comprehensive communication with security agencies and local leaders.
*Additional reporting by David Vosh Ajuna
