Masaka killings: Death toll raises to nineteen as 60 year old woman is butchered

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sixty-year-old Anent Nampijja Muwangaza, a resident of Kasaali village, Bisanje Parish, Kabonera division in Masaka is the latest victim of the brutal killings in the city. Unknown assailants butchered the deceased at around 7:50pm on Wednesday evening.

The assailants waylaid Nampijja as she was stepping out of the kitchen to enter her house. Nampijja’s death brings to five, the number of people killed since Monday this week. She also becomes the 19th victim in the spate of unexplained killings in the region in just under two months.

She follows Fred Ssemanda,28, a resident of Bukulula village in Mateete town council in Sembabule district who was murdered on Tuesday night plus three others who were killed in Ssettaala village, Ssenya parish, in Kimaanya-Kabonera division in Masaka city, on Monday night.

Isa Bakabulindi, a friend to the deceased says that Nampijja was alone at home when she was attacked. He says that although the deceased yelled for help, it was too late for them to save her as they found her lifeless body lying in a pool of blood by the time they arrived.

Bakabulindi says that they are worried about the attacks since the actual motive of the assailants is unknown because they do not take money or property from their victims.

The deceased is said to have earlier on cautioned her friends and neighbours to stay indoors for their own safety since the killings became rampant in the region. Frank Bwekumbule, the Bisanje Parish Vice chairperson and friend to the deceased says that nothing was taken from her which left them puzzled.

He says that although Police and the UPDF armoured brigade launched joint operations to hunt down the assailants, their efforts are yet to yield results.

Muhammad Nsubuga, the Masaka Regional Police spokesperson says police have commenced investigations into the latest murder and hunt down the killers. This is not the first time Masaka is registering machete murders.

In 2016 and 2018, dozens of people lost their lives in similar attacks prompting the then Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura to pitch camp there to end the senseless killings. This led to the arrest of some suspects and their subsequent prosecution.

It is unclear whether the recent attacks are connected to the previous incidents since to date, no suspect has been apprehended.

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