Uganda: Government Official Kidnapped, Murdered

A police manhunt is underway for unknown assailants who kidnapped and murdered Ugandan Bugiri District Inspector of Schools, David Tenywa Kazungu.

According to police and family sources, the deceased, who was a brother of Dr Waiswa Kazungu of Mulago Hospital and Makerere University, and State House staffer Justine Kazungu, went missing from his farm in Bugiri District.

According to Busoga East Police spokesperson Diana Nandaula, the deceased was seen driving his Toyota Premio at about 11 a.m. on Saturday. 

He was on his way to Nandelema Village, Kapyanga Sub County, Bugiri District, to see his farm. 

"On Monday, the daughter reported to Bugiri Central Police Station that her father was missing and that they were receiving calls demanding an Shs20 million ransom," Nandaula told Monitor, a local media outlet, over the phone on Tuesday.

Nandaula went on to say that the car was subsequently found in Nandelema Village and sent to the Bugiri Police Station for processing.

"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," police added.

According to Nandaula, the deceased was last seen on his farm chatting with his casual labourers. 

However, since the incident occurred, the labourers have disappeared and are nowhere to be found. 

"The casual labourers are nowhere to be seen. So, we suspect that they could know something about the incident," Nandaula noted.

According to a source close to the family who declined to be identified, when the deceased went missing on Saturday morning, they assumed he had gone to a seminar and sought to track him down until Sunday, when they began receiving frightening phone calls from suspected kidnappers.

"The kidnappers first rang on Sunday asking for Shs50m before reducing it to Shs20m". 

By Monday evening, they (kidnappers) were asking for Shs5m after which they said: "You mean you have no money to give us?" the source told the local media house.

It was at this moment that the kidnappers reportedly directed the family to an incomplete pit latrine where the deceased's remains were found.

The victim's phone was reportedly being used by the kidnappers to communicate with the deceased's relatives.

By press time, Tenywa's body had been taken to Bugiri Hospital mortuary for postmortem.

"But for now, we are yet to confirm the actual cause of death," Nandaula highlighted.