Security was heavily deployed in Lwengo District as police escorted suspected serial killers back to the villages where they allegedly committed a string of brutal murders, in an operation to reconstruct the crime scenes.
A large and emotional crowd gathered at Kikenene Village in Kisekka Sub-county, eager to catch a glimpse of the suspects accused of terrorising the area and killing several residents, many of them prominent coffee traders.
Five suspects were presented at the scene, including Kiyimba Paul, Kanyankole Moses, Ssempijja Umar and Simon Ssenyonga. The group has been in custody at Nyendo Masaka Police Station as investigations progressed.
According to police, the suspects confessed to multiple killings and guided officers to the exact locations where the murders were carried out.
During the reconstruction, they demonstrated how they allegedly subdued their victims by tying their hands behind their backs, commonly known as kandooya, before strangling them.
The suspects reportedly admitted to being habitual criminals and further implicated one of their own, Kanyankole, in additional crimes.
They alleged that he sexually assaulted the wives of some victims immediately after the murders. The group also led investigators to the home of a coffee trader, George William Bifaaki, who was brutally hacked to death.
Tensions ran high as angry residents, led by village chairperson Sizza Kimbugwe, attempted to break through police lines, demanding that the suspects be handed over to them for mob justice.
Emotions peaked when Patricia Nabiryo, the widow of the late Bifaaki, broke down as the suspects narrated the killing of her husband.
She condemned the suspects for orphaning her children and recounted her own ordeal, alleging she was assaulted at the scene.
Nabiryo, however, expressed gratitude to the police for pursuing the case, noting that she had previously faced false accusations linking her to her husband’s death.
Julius Musaazi, who led the police operation, explained that delays in releasing information are often due to the need to build strong and credible cases. He revealed that efforts to track down more suspects connected to the murders are still ongoing.
He commended residents who have provided crucial information but urged the community to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
Lwengo District has recently experienced a surge in violent crime, with several murders targeting wealthy coffee traders, raising concern among residents and authorities alike.
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