Police in Rukungiri district have arrested four Rwandan nationals accused of killing their colleague during a scuffle allegedly sparked by a matchbox.
The deceased, Diana Wase, 19, also a Rwandan national, had been working as a barmaid at a local hangout owned by a man only identified as Kashaija in Nyarushanje Stage village, Ibanda Parish, Nyarushanje sub-county.
According to Elly Maate, Kigezi Region police spokesperson, the altercation occurred on Friday evening when the suspects, Elikoze Zuwaheze (18), Mutesi Zane (17), Muhawenimana Kolodina (19), and Omutono Owase Pasikalina (19) allegedly asked Wase for a matchbox to light cigarettes. A disagreement ensued, escalating into a physical fight.
In the course of the confrontation, Wase was reportedly struck around the neck and collapsed, said Maate.
She was initially rushed to St. Andrews Health Centre in Nyarushanje trading centre and later referred to Kisizi Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police responded to the incident, arrested the four suspects, and are currently detaining them at Rukungiri Central police station as investigations continue.
Maate confirmed that statements have been recorded from witnesses and that a postmortem has been conducted to establish the exact cause of death.