A months-long search for a missing security rifle has ended dramatically after a Kassanda resident stumbled upon the weapon hidden inside a pile of bean husks while collecting materials for a cooking fire.
The rifle, bearing serial number UG PSO-564211567/15036, had been reported missing on May 20, 2026, while in the possession of Anderson Baluku, an employee of Neptune Guards Ltd.
Baluku had been deployed at Shrida Investment Ltd in Kiwesa Cell, South Ward, Ttamu Division, Mityana District, when the firearm disappeared. He was subsequently arrested and remains on remand as investigations continued.
The breakthrough came on June 11, 2026, at around 1:00pm, when Matovu Salim, a resident of Kikandwa Village in Kalwana Sub-county, Kassanda District, went to his garden to collect bean husks for roasting maize.
While gathering the husks, he noticed a suspicious object wrapped in a black pair of trousers.
Upon closer inspection, he was startled to discover it was a gun concealed within the pile.
Matovu immediately alerted his son, Sebakumba Erias, who arrived at the scene and confirmed the discovery.
The matter was promptly reported to Kikandwa Police Station.
Police officers visited the scene, documented evidence, and recorded statements from witnesses before recovering the firearm and securing it as an exhibit.
Subsequent verification confirmed that the serial number on the recovered weapon matched that of the rifle reported missing in Mityana, bringing an end to the intensive search that had sparked concern among residents.
Investigators are now focusing on how the firearm, which disappeared while assigned to a security guard in Mityana District, ended up concealed in bean husks in Kassanda District, several kilometres away.
Police have assured the public that the rifle is now safely in custody and that investigations into the circumstances surrounding its movement and concealment are ongoing.
According to Wamala Region Police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi, the recovery of the firearm marks a significant breakthrough in the case and should reassure residents who had been alarmed by reports of the missing weapon.
