Police have arrested six people, including four employees of Mucha Lodges, a tour guide and a police officer, as investigations into the killing of Deaf Link Uganda founder Barbra Nassozi Kiyaga intensify.
The suspects are being held to help investigators establish how armed attackers accessed the lodge and the circumstances surrounding the shooting that left Kiyaga dead.
Kiyaga was shot dead at about 2am on Thursday, November 5, when armed men attacked Mucha Lodges along the Mutolere-Nyundo road near Lake Mulehe in Kisoro District.
The attack triggered an exchange of gunfire between the assailants and security personnel deployed at the lodge. Kiyaga sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene. Preliminary information indicates that she was shot about seven times.
Constable Charles Mukesi, a police officer assigned to guard the lodge, was also wounded in the left leg during the shooting. He was taken to Kisoro Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
Kisoro Deputy Resident District Commissioner Dan Ndikumwami confirmed the arrests on Saturday, saying the suspects had been picked up as investigators sought to establish what happened during the attack and identify those responsible.
“The arrested people will help the police to investigate the matter and possibly help in identifying the assailants,” Ndikumwami said.
He said security officials had also met residents living near the lodge and asked them to provide information about individuals suspected of criminal activities in the area.
Ndikumwami said authorities were strengthening community surveillance and urged landlords to maintain proper records of their tenants. He also called on local council leaders to report suspicious movements to security agencies.
Kigezi regional police spokesperson Nelson Tumushime said police had opened cases of murder by shooting and attempted murder.
He said security teams were pursuing the attackers and had increased patrols in the area.
Police have not publicly established the motive behind the shooting, although an attempted robbery is among the possibilities being investigated.
Kiyaga had travelled from Kampala and checked into Mucha Lodges on Wednesday, having booked a four-day stay.
She founded Deaf Link Uganda in 2007, initially operating as a community-based organisation before it later became a non-governmental organisation.
The organisation advocates for the rights and inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, with programmes focusing on education and livelihoods.
Her killing has raised fresh security concerns in Kisoro, a district bordering neighbouring countries and serving as a gateway for visitors travelling to Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks.
On October 17, businessman Africano Nteziyaremye and his wife, Peace Kyompeire, were shot dead at the gate of their home in Zindiro, Kisoro Municipality, as they returned from their wholesale shop.
No arrests have been publicly announced in connection with that incident.
Police have urged anyone with information that could help trace the gunmen responsible for Kiyaga’s killing to report to the nearest security office as investigations continue.
