Wanted killer of Ndiga Clan leader faces 17 more murder offences

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fugitive Lujja Tabula, wanted for the murder of Ndiga clan leader Eng. Daniel Bbosa now faces 17 additional murder charges after police recovered 17 human skulls at his shrine in Mpigi district on Monday afternoon.

Eng. Bbosa was shot dead on February 25, 2024, in Kikandwa village, Lungujja, Rubaga Division, Kampala. Following the incident, locals pursued the shooters, lynched one, and arrested Noah Lujja, who revealed that they were hired by Tabula. According to police, Tabula has since fled Uganda and is suspected to be hiding in Tanzania. A bounty on his head was initially set at 10 million shillings and later increased to 20 million Shillings for information leading to his capture.

The gruesome discovery was made when children collecting firewood stumbled upon a pit near Tabula’s deserted home in Mpigi filled with metallic cases. They alerted a neighbor, Bruno Sserunkuuma, who in turn called the police and Mpigi Resident District Commissioner Hassan Kasibante. Upon excavation, the police found the metallic cases filled with human skulls, leading to suspicions that Tabula killed the individuals elsewhere and brought their remains to his shrine.

“Much as Tabula is needed for killing Eng. Bbosa, he is now also a suspect in the murders of these 17 people. It is no longer just him; people who visited his shrines must also tell us where these skulls came from,” said Kasibante.

Tabula is suspected of killing Bbosa after a long-standing battle to remove him from the Ndiga clan leadership, a fight spanning over two decades. Although Tabula once defeated Bbosa in a Buganda kingdom court, the latter appealed. At the time of his murder, the two were awaiting a ruling from Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.

Neighbors, including Sserunkuuma and Bashir Ssebuuma, described Tabula as a jovial and friendly person, never suspecting him capable of such heinous acts. “He was always friendly, calm, and appeared humble. None of us ever suspected he was capable of such hard-heartedness. Now, we are left questioning who these victims are,” said Ssebuuma.

Katonga regional police spokesperson, SP Karim Majid, stated that investigations have been widened to determine who visited Tabula’s shrines, as they might hold clues about the origins of the 17 skulls found in the metallic cases. So far, five people, including Buganda kingdom official Milly Naluwenda, have been charged with murder at Mengo Court. The other suspects include Noah Lujja, Joseph Nakabaale, Harriet Nakiguli, and Ezra Mayanja.

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