A labour dispute in central Uganda has turned into a murder investigation after a casual worker was accused of killing his employer during a confrontation over payment, before allegedly forcing the victim’s wife to seek help from a local leader while demanding his wages.
Police said the incident happened on August 6, 2026, in Kyomya Subcounty, Kiboga District, where a 22-year-old man identified as Akiram Golooba was attacked while working with his wife, Gloria Naggawa, in a garden where they were preparing logs for charcoal production.
According to preliminary police findings, the suspect, identified as Fabulisi, a Burundian national who had worked as a casual labourer for the deceased, allegedly confronted Golooba over unpaid money before drawing a machete and attacking him.
Police said the victim suffered a fatal cut to the neck and collapsed from severe bleeding, while the suspect allegedly dragged his wife to the home of a village chairperson as he continued demanding payment.
Wamala Region police spokesman Lameck Kigozi said investigations had been launched following the killing and urged communities to exercise caution when employing workers whose backgrounds are not known.
“We caution our people to be careful on alien casual workers whose background is not known in your villages,” Kigozi said.
The incident was reported by Kyomya B village chairperson Muwonge Sulaiman to Kyomya Subcounty Police Station before the case was transferred to Bukomero Police Station, where detectives opened a murder inquiry. Police said the suspect was arrested and remains in custody as investigations continue under Bukomero CRB 142/2026.
Investigators who visited the scene said the victim’s body was found lying face down in a pool of blood approximately 15 metres from the initial point of attack.
A machete with suspected blood stains was also recovered as part of the evidence.
Witness statements indicate that Fabulisi had lived in the village for about a year and was known to have worked for the deceased as a casual labourer.
Police have continued gathering information to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal dispute and whether outstanding payments were the motive behind the attack.
