A quiet community in Ibanda District has been left reeling after a man allegedly killed his wife and a female neighbour before disappearing, triggering a manhunt by police and local residents.
Authorities say 40-year-old Possiano Turyahebwa is the prime suspect in the deaths of his wife, Phionah Nsimenta, and neighbour Oliver Nalugo. The shocking incident is reported to have unfolded in the early hours of Monday (June 15, 2026) in Kyarufubangi Cell, Kanyenshenko Ward, Kagongo Division.
According to preliminary investigations, Nsimenta was allegedly attacked and killed inside the family home. Her body was later discovered locked inside the house alongside the couple’s children, a scene that has deeply disturbed both investigators and residents.
Investigators believe the suspect then left the home and headed to a nearby residence at around dawn, where he allegedly attacked and killed 39-year-old Oliver Nalugo before fleeing the area.
Local leaders alerted police shortly after learning of the killings, prompting security personnel to rush to the scene and launch investigations.
The double homicide has sent shockwaves through the community, with relatives and neighbours struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
Adding a chilling twist to the case, family members revealed that the suspect allegedly contacted one of the deceased woman’s relatives shortly after the killings.
Monica Nshemereirwe, a sister to Nsimenta, said she received a disturbing phone call from Turyahebwa asking whether she had heard about her sister’s death.
Security officials have since intensified efforts to track down the suspect, who remains at large.
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Ibanda, Godfrey Guma Nabireeba, confirmed that investigators are working to establish what may have motivated the killings and reconstruct the events leading up to the deaths.
As the search continues, authorities have appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest.
The bodies of the two women were taken to Ruhoko Health Centre IV for postmortem examinations.
