By Aggrey Twesigye
Investigations into the brutal murder of a couple in Kyegegwa District took a deadly turn after a police operation to arrest suspected killers ended in clashes with residents, leaving one civilian dead and a murder suspect critically injured.
The victims, identified as Ismail Alituha and his wife Aisha Nasoro, were allegedly murdered in their home in Muhangi Village, Kabweza Parish, Kyegegwa Sub-county on Saturday night.
Residents discovered the bodies on Sunday morning with their hands and legs tied and multiple cut wounds, prompting police to launch investigations.
According to the Uganda Police Force, a police canine unit tracked the suspects to a home in the same village, where three people were found digging in a garden and arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killings.
Rwenzori West Regional Police spokesperson Vincent Twesige said the situation turned chaotic as officers attempted to evacuate the suspects after an angry crowd surrounded them, demanding the suspects be handed over for mob justice.
Police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, but during the confrontation Emmanuel Tumuhairwe, a resident, was struck by a bullet. He was rushed to Kyegegwa General Hospital, where he later died.
Twesige said one of the murder suspects was critically injured after being attacked by the crowd and is receiving treatment at Kyegegwa General Hospital, while the other two suspects remain in police custody.
He added that investigations into both the double murder and the circumstances surrounding the fatal confrontation are ongoing.
