In the predawn darkness of April 6, 2026, tragedy struck Kizibawo village in Bukuya Subcounty, Kassanda District, when 61-year-old Pheobe Nalugwa was found brutally murdered in her own home.
The victim, who had recently won a bitter land dispute in court, was discovered lifeless by a local woman, Grace Nalutaaya, who had come to pay her for coffee supplies.
According to authorities, unknown assailants broke into Nalugwa’s home in the early hours and attacked her while she slept, striking her on the head and left arm with a sharp object.
Her body was later taken to Kassanda Health Center IV for examination.
The murder comes against a backdrop of escalating threats. Locals report that Nakugwa had repeatedly been warned by her adversaries that a court ruling in her favor would “be the end” of her.
She had filed two reports of threatening violence with Kassanda and Mubende police, and last month, the courts ruled in her favor, ordering a government surveyor to measure the contested land on April 18.
However, Police have arrested 60-year-old Ronald Kakooza, a co-litigant in the case, while two other suspects remain at large.
“We are deeply concerned about this brazen attack, and our message is clear: no one is above the law,” said Lameck Kigozi.
“We appeal to the community to respect court judgments. If anyone disagrees with a ruling, the legal channels exist, violence is never an option,” he noted.
He said authorities are continuing their hunt for the remaining suspects, and if evidence confirms their involvement, all the three will face murder charges.
