Police in Rubirizi District in Western Uganda are investigating two murder cases after a 30-year-old man was lynched by an angry mob for allegedly killing his wife at Kashaka landing site, Katunguru Sub County.
“The deceased has been identified as Bernard Musinguzi, alias Master, unemployed youth and a resident of the Kashaka landing site,” said Mr Marcial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi police spokesperson.
Musinguzi was lynched after he allegedly stabbed his wife, Mackline Ninsiima, a fish vendor, to death following a domestic dispute that degenerated into a physical fight.
Some neighbours told police that a fight ensued between Musinguzi and Ninsiima, who would sometimes work on people’s farms as a casual labourer, after she reportedly declined to give him some money to buy alcohol, as she had been doing before.
The two had been married for seven years and had two kids together.
He was reportedly intercepted by residents and beaten to death as he attempted to flee the landing site.
“We found the body lying in an open place, a distance away from his home, with many injuries to the head. The body was conveyed to Rugazi Health Centre IV for postmortem,” said Rubirizi District CID boss, Ms Lilian Mugume.
Rubirizi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Bron Kikanshemeza the condemned the double murder, saying cases of domestic violence are high in the district.
“We have a task to carry. We can’t continue experiencing such as a result of indisciplined individuals who want to take the laws into their own hands,” he said.
Cases of domestic violence and mob attacks are common in Uganda, partly due to poverty, infidelity, drug abuse and loss of trust in enforcement officers, among others, according to activists.
Domestic violence
In their annual crime report released recently, police said a total of 14,073 cases of domestic violence were reported to police in 2024 compared to 14,681 cases reported in 2023, thus giving a 4 per cent decrease in the volume of domestic violence registered countrywide.
Homicide
Further, the report says a total of 4,329 cases (representing 1.9 per cent of the total reported cases in the year) reported to the police by the end of 2024 were due to homicides, compared to 4,248 cases reported in 2023, giving a 1.9 per cent increase in Homicide cases registered countrywide.
Source: monitor.co.ug
