What began as the disappearance of an 18-year-old student ended in a gruesome discovery, violent unrest, and a murder mystery that continues to haunt authorities in Kabujigera Town Council, Kitagwenda District.
The body of Onesmus Alinda, a Senior Four student at Kitagwenda High School, was discovered on Sunday, (June 21, 2026) afternoon in a coffee plantation, hours after he reportedly left school and entered a nearby sugarcane plantation.
Days later, investigators are still piecing together the events that led to his brutal killing.
The discovery was made by Scovia Owembabazi, a resident of the area, who had gone to pick vegetables in her garden.
“I raised an alarm after seeing the body,” she said. Residents rushed to the scene, but initially failed to identify the deceased.
According to police, the body was found at around 1pm in a coffee plantation belonging to a local resident.
The teenager had suffered multiple deep cut wounds to the head, arms and legs, indicating a violent attack.
As news of the killing spread through Kitagwenda High School and surrounding communities, grief quickly turned into anger.
Student fury erupts into violence
The murder sent shockwaves through the school, where fellow students struggled to come to terms with the death of one of their own.
Witnesses said enraged students staged protests demanding justice and answers over the circumstances surrounding Alinda’s death.
The demonstrations soon escalated into violence, with groups of students reportedly targeting homes in the area where the body was discovered.
Several houses were torched during the unrest as angry students accused residents of withholding information about the killing.
Security personnel were later deployed to restore calm and prevent further destruction.
The violence reflected the deep frustration felt by students who believed crucial questions about their colleague’s death remained unanswered.
While authorities condemned the destruction of property, community leaders appealed for restraint, urging residents and students to allow police investigations to proceed.
A habit that may hold clues
For school administrators, the circumstances surrounding Alinda’s death are especially troubling.
According to head teacher Simon Ahimbisibwe, the teenager had developed a habit of leaving school and visiting nearby sugarcane plantations.
“On several occasions, the student would escape from school and go to a nearby sugarcane plantation where he would cut sugarcane and carry it back to school,” Ahimbisibwe said.
School officials say they had become concerned about his behaviour and had discussed possible interventions with his family.
However, teachers chose to continue supporting him through guidance and counselling.
On the night of his death, police believe Alinda once again left the school premises before entering a nearby sugarcane plantation.
What happened after that remains the central question in the investigation.
Family confirms mental health struggles
As detectives search for answers, Alinda’s family has disclosed that he previously struggled with mental illness.
His father, Emmanuel Baguma, said the teenager had received treatment at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital in Ishaka and had responded well.
“My son had a history of mental illness and received treatment at KIU Hospital in Ishaka. He had improved, and since the beginning of this year, I had not received any information suggesting that the illness had returned,” Baguma said.
Family members say they believed he was on the path to recovery and focused on his education, which was brutally cut short.
Now parents and relatives want justice for their son.
Arrests made, motive still unknown
Police have since arrested four suspects in connection with the murder and are holding them at Kitagwenda Central Police Station, in Ntara, as investigations continue.
However, authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motive or explained whether the suspects had any prior relationship with the victim.
For now, critical questions remain unanswered.
Why was the teenager killed? Was the attack planned, or was he targeted after entering the plantation? Did his routine visits to the sugarcane fields place him in danger, or was his death the result of an entirely different conflict?
Investigators have yet to provide definitive answers.
The murder of Alinda has left a trail of grief, anger and uncertainty.
A student remembered by classmates as quiet and determined is now at the centre of a criminal investigation that has shaken an entire district. The riots that followed his death revealed the depth of emotion surrounding the case, while the arrests have done little to ease public concern.
As Alinda rests is rests at his ancestral home in Mahyoro, Kitagwenda District, his family, classmates and community continue to wait for the truth.
Until that truth emerges, the killing of the 18-year-old remains an unresolved tragedy, a future cut short in the shadow of the sugarcane fields he was known to visit.
