A Police manhunt is underway for unknown assailants who kidnapped and murdered the Bugiri District Inspector of Schools, Mr. David Tenywa Kazungu.
The deceased, who was a brother to Dr. Waiswa Kazungu of Mulago Hospital/Makerere University, and Ms. Justine Kazungu of State House, went missing from his farm in Bugiri District, according to police and family accounts.
Ms. Diana Nandaula, the Busoga East Police Spokesperson, said the deceased was last seen at around 11 am on Saturday driving his vehicle, a Toyota Premio registration number UAP 916B, towards his farm in Nandelema Village, Kapyanga Sub-county, Bugiri District.
“However, on Monday, the daughter reported to Bugiri Central Police Station that her dad is missing and that they were receiving calls demanding a Shs20m ransom,” Ms Nandaula said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
Ms Nandaula added that the vehicle was later recovered in Nandelema Village and brought to Bugiri Police Station for processing; but on Tuesday morning, a foul smell and flies drew residents to an incomplete pit latrine, where they found the deceased with his legs bound with ropes.
According to Ms Nandaula, the deceased was last seen talking to his casual labourers on the farm, who have all since disappeared and topped their list of persons of interest.
“The casual labourers are nowhere to be seen, so we suspect that they could know something about the incident,” Ms Nandaula said.
A source, which is close to the family, but declined to be named, said when the deceased disappeared on Saturday morning, they thought he had gone for a seminar and tried tracing him until Sunday they started receiving phone calls from suspected kidnappers.
“The kidnappers first rang on Sunday asking for Shs50m, before reducing it to Shs20m; then by Monday evening, they were demanding for Shs5m after which they said: ‘you mean you have no money to give us’?”, the source said.
It was at this moment that the kidnappers reportedly directed the family to the incomplete garden where the deceased was found.
According to the source, the kidnappers were communicating to the deceased’s family using his personal phone.
Ms Nandaula said the deceased has been taken to Bugiri Hospital morgue for an autopsy. “But for now, we are yet to confirm the cause of death,” she said.
