By Swift Reporter
Police investigations into a suspected ritual murder in Masaka have taken a disturbing turn after a 38-year-old moneylender allegedly told detectives that he had eaten a victim’s heart in another killing, according to police.
The suspect, identified as Kamugisha Kulaishi, was arrested alongside a traditional healer from Kyotera District in connection with the gruesome murder of Jackline Natukunda, a resident of Lukaya.
According to Masaka East and West police spokesperson SP Twaha Kasirye, investigators have also linked Kulaishi to two other murder cases reported in Nsangi, Wakiso District, and Sanga. His alleged account of consuming a victim’s heart relates to one of the additional cases under investigation.
“These allegations remain subject to further investigation,” Kasirye said in a statement issued on October 11.
Natukunda’s murder was discovered on September 29 after her severed head was found wrapped in a white polythene bag at Kako Cell, along the Kako-Mukungwe Road in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division.
Her headless body was later recovered from Butale Cell in Kyanamukaka, triggering investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death and the possible motive behind the killing.
Police allege that Kulaishi, a resident of Kasala LC I in Nyendo-Mukungwe, told investigators that the traditional healer had promised him Shs2 million to obtain human body parts. The suspect allegedly received Shs250,000 as an advance payment.
The traditional healer’s identity has not been disclosed as investigations continue.
During a crime scene reconstruction exercise, Kulaishi allegedly guided detectives and Scenes of Crime Officers to the location where he picked up Natukunda in Lukaya and demonstrated how he reportedly killed her, according to the police statement.
A subsequent search of his residence reportedly yielded a jacket, gumboots, a saucepan and other items that investigators suspect could be connected to ritual activities.
Kasirye said the recovered exhibits had been secured for forensic examination to establish their relevance to the case and support the ongoing investigations.
The arrests come amid continuing concerns over suspected ritual killings in Uganda, in which investigators sometimes examine allegations of human body parts being sought for purported ritual purposes.
Uganda Police’s 2025 Annual Crime Report recorded 61 reported ritual murder cases, down from 72 in 2024, representing a decline of approximately 15 per cent. The figures reflect reported cases and do not necessarily indicate convictions.
Both suspects remain in police custody as detectives investigate Natukunda’s murder, examine the alleged links to the other killings and seek to establish whether additional individuals were involved.
Police have cautioned that the allegations remain under investigation, and the suspects’ guilt will ultimately be determined through the judicial process.