UPDF officer stabbed to death in Kabale
- Written by URN
A Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) soldier, Pte Patrick Byamukama has been killed while on pass leave in Kabale district, western Uganda. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at around 01:00 am.
According to Gerald Byaruhanga, the LC I chairman of Kanyabiyengo village, Byamukama was stabbed in the stomach after returning home from a nearby trading center where he had been socializing.
Byamukama's cries for help attracted the attention of the locals, who found him severely injured with his intestines popped outside. He was quickly rushed to Kabale regional referral hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.
Butanda sub county LC III chairman, Barnet Champion, says that enraged locals took matters into their own hands and retaliated by setting fire to the homes of Gereva Batenana and Hebert Katagamba Katakooza, whom they accused of being responsible for the act and engaging in ritual sacrifice by draining the victim's blood.
Champion noted that this incident marked the fourth killing within a year in the parish. He explains that the perpetrators often defecate at the crime scene as a traditional and ritualistic measure to avoid being traced.
The situation escalated to the point where the mob wanted to lynch the suspects, prompting the intervention of the police. The suspects were subsequently taken into custody at Kabale central police station.