Police have made arrests in connection with a series of killings in Mubende District, spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has said, as security agencies investigate attacks that have left several people dead and others critically injured.
Addressing journalists during the police’s weekly news briefing on Monday, Rusoke said investigators had made progress but declined to disclose details of the arrests, warning that releasing sensitive information could undermine ongoing investigations.
“Police has made some arrests,” Rusoke said, adding that more information could not be released at this stage because it might compromise the investigations.
The arrests come amid heightened fear in Buwekula South Constituency, where suspected assailants have reportedly killed four people in separate attacks, with five others left bedridden in critical condition.
The latest reported killing occurred in Kyenda Town Council, where a man identified as Sharif Lubwama, 30, was reportedly found dead behind a mosque after spending his final hours at a bar. The circumstances surrounding his death had not been established by the time of reporting.
The incident, reported over the weekend, intensified anxiety among residents already concerned about a string of attacks in the area.
The reported victims are said to have been struck on the head with blunt objects, although the circumstances of the individual attacks remain under investigation.
In response, the government deployed additional security personnel and investigators to the affected communities, including Kiteenga Sub-county, where earlier killings had been reported.
Mubende Resident District Commissioner Beatrice Katsigazi said security agencies were working to restore calm and identify those responsible.
“We are aware of the security situation in Buwekula South, and the government has intervened. We have deployed additional personnel and experts to support investigations and ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice,” Katsigazi said earlier.
She added that some security measures could not be disclosed publicly because they were operational.
The deployment followed concerns raised by residents who said fear of further attacks had forced some people to spend nights away from their homes.
Denis Barac, a resident, said the presence of security personnel had offered some hope that normal life could resume.
Other residents appealed to the authorities to maintain the deployment until the threat was contained, saying families needed to feel safe enough to return to their homes.
Phionah Batamuliza, Lubwama’s mother, said the latest death had deepened anxiety in the community, while Sserugo Vincent, the Kirangwa LCII chairperson, called for investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings and bring those responsible to justice.
Buwekula South Constituency comprises three sub-counties and one town council. The reported attacks have occurred in Kiteenga Sub-county and Kyenda Town Council.
Police have not publicly disclosed the identities of those arrested or the specific roles they are suspected of playing in the attacks.
Rusoke’s remarks indicate that investigations are continuing as security agencies seek to establish the circumstances behind the killings and identify those responsible.