Police in Mubende District have launched a manhunt for suspected robbers who attacked several villages in Kitenga Sub-county, killing a couple and injuring at least two other people in a night of violence.
The victims were identified as Ivan Sserwanja, 29, and his pregnant wife, Rose Nakalanzi, 26, residents of Lukaya Village.
The couple were attacked in their home in the early hours of Friday, October 9, 2026, when unknown assailants reportedly broke into the house and killed them.
According to police, the couple sustained multiple deep cut wounds to their heads and were found lying in a pool of blood.
SSP Lameck Kigozi, the Wamala Regional Police spokesperson, said the bodies were discovered at about 10am after a child from a neighbouring home, identified as Rose Birimuye, went to the couple’s house and called out to them but received no response.
“The child informed a neighbour, Kyarisima Loyce, who went to the house and entered. She found the husband and wife lying lifeless in a pool of blood,” Kigozi said.
Police said the couple, who dealt in coffee, had been robbed of a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration number UFZ 589C, and two smartphones.
“The deceased were coffee dealers, which raises suspicion that the motive of the attackers was economic,” Kigozi said.
A blood-stained forked hoe was recovered from the scene and taken as an exhibit. Police homicide detectives documented the scene and recorded statements from witnesses.
The bodies were subsequently transported to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem examinations.
Police linked the killings to two other attacks reported in the same area on the same night.
In Lukaya Village, Bugonzi Parish, 40-year-old Nalukenge Sophia was attacked at about 2am after waking up to relieve herself.
Police said an unidentified man dressed in black and armed with a blunt object struck her on the head. She raised an alarm, prompting her elder daughter and neighbours to respond. The assailant reportedly fled with three smartphones and a button phone.
Nalukenge was rushed to Royal Medical Clinic for treatment.
In a separate incident in Kayanja Village, Nsengwe Parish, unidentified attackers armed with a panga and a knife reportedly broke into the home of Tumwebaze Onesmus and his wife, Kukundakwe Agatha.
The couple sustained serious injuries before the attackers fled with two mobile phones.
Kigozi said police teams had visited all the crime scenes and were pursuing leads to identify and arrest the suspects.
“The DPC Mubende visited the scenes and community policing was also conducted. Leads were picked and are being exploited by Mubende Police in conjunction with the Wamala Region Flying Squad Unit to help identify and apprehend the suspects,” he said.
Police also deployed a canine unit at the murdered couple’s home. However, heavy rainfall reportedly hampered the dogs’ efforts to pick up useful leads.
Investigations into the murders, attempted murder and robberies are ongoing as police intensify efforts to identify and apprehend the suspects.
