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The victim, Edison Orikiriza Ntuguta, aged in his 40s, was found dead on Sunday morning at around 7:00 a.m
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A wave of shock, grief, and tension has engulfed the villages of Hamurambi and Rwengwe in Kagarama Ward, Hamuhambo Town Council, following the brutal killing of a prominent businessman and political campaign agent of former Rubanda LC5 Chairman, Kenneth Jogo Biryabarema.
The victim, Edison Orikiriza Ntuguta, aged in his 40s, was found dead on Sunday morning at around 7:00 a.m. His body lay in a pool of blood along the Kachwekano–Kagarama road, at the boundary shared by Rwengwe, Hamurambi, and Kitogota villages.
According to Aggrey Bandebaho, LC3 Chairperson of Hamuhambo Sub-county, Orikiriza had been hacked multiple times in the head and chest before being dragged nearly 80 meters and left naked on the roadside. His clothes were stolen, which Bandebaho believes may have been an attempt to tamper with evidence and mislead investigators. Bandebaho revealed that Orikiriza was ambushed between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. while heading to buy local brew (muramba) for resale. He strongly suspects political rivalry as a possible motive behind the killing.
The incident comes amid growing political tensions in Rubanda East Constituency, where Biryabarema lost the NRM party flag to State Minister of Finance, Henry Ariganyira Musasizi, in recent primaries. Bandebaho further claimed that Orikiriza had received threats a day before his death, warning him to abandon his support for Biryabarema, especially if the latter intended to contest in the upcoming general elections.
Dickson Tugume, LC2 Chairperson and uncle to the deceased, confirmed that Orikiriza had been targeted by unnamed individuals who vowed to "teach him a lesson." Tugume alleged that his nephew was on a list of six people marked for elimination. He criticized local leaders, including the area village chairperson, for failing to report the threats to police or even visit the crime scene.
Another concerned resident, Owen Ahumuza, who claims he too has received death threats over his support for Biryabarema, appealed to top security agencies to urgently investigate the politically motivated threats and violence destabilizing the constituency.
At the crime scene, Melch Ahimbisibwe, Officer-in-Charge at Rubanda Police Station, faulted residents for tampering with evidence by covering the victim’s body before investigators arrived. He explained that this act compromised the use of police sniffer dogs in the probe. Ahimbisibwe urged locals to cooperate with security agencies and provide credible information to aid the hunt for suspects.
However, the police officer did not address the wider issue of ongoing threats against Biryabarema’s supporters, leaving many locals fearful and on edge.
The killing has sent shockwaves across Rubanda District, with residents demanding swift justice and greater security to prevent further politically motivated violence.
Torch Media Africa
