Sniffer dog leads police to three suspects after Kazo family attack

A trail followed by a police sniffer dog has led investigators to three suspects after an attack on a family home in western Uganda which left three people dead and two children seriously injured, authorities said.
The victims were attacked in the early hours of Friday in Kagasha 1 Cell, Nkungu Parish, Nkungu Sub-county, Kazo District, in a case police are treating as murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery.
The dead have been identified as 47-year-old Ntegyerize Afusa and two children, Tumuramye Sudais, 14, and Nuwandinda Asifa, 11.
Two other children, Nagasha Zulaika, 16, and Nuwahereza Aramazani, 13, survived the attack and were taken to a health facility for treatment.
Police said the case came to light after Nuwahereza Abdul Ratifu went to his mother’s home at about 8am to collect his tricycle, commonly known as a tuk-tuk, before going to work.
He found the house open and discovered the bodies of his mother and two siblings inside. The two injured children were found in another bedroom, according to the preliminary police account.
Ratifu rushed the injured children for medical treatment before reporting the incident to officers at Nkungu Police Station.
Investigators believe the attackers may have been acting on information that Afusa had received about Shs1.5 million, which was allegedly kept in her room.
Police said the assailants are believed to have entered through a rear door that had not been properly secured before attacking the occupants with a hammer, panga and walking stick.
The money was allegedly taken during the attack.
The investigation, according to Samson Kasasira, the Rwizi Region police spokesperson, took a significant turn after detectives deployed a sniffer dog at the crime scene.
The dog followed a scent that led investigators to Nuwamanya Christopher, who was arrested. Police said his arrest was followed by the apprehension of two other suspects, Nuwamanya Micheal and Asiimwe Abel.
Searches were subsequently carried out at the suspects’ homes, where police recovered several items believed to be connected to the case.
Kasasira said the recovered exhibits are being preserved for forensic examination as investigators work to establish how the attack was carried out and determine the individual roles of those arrested.
The three suspects remain in police custody as inquiries continue.
The case has been registered at Kazo Central Police Station under Kazo CRB 690/2026.
Police said investigations are continuing and charges could follow as detectives examine the evidence and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the alleged robbery.