Police in Lira City have arrested a 16-year-old boy suspected of killing his 40-year-old paternal uncle during a dispute over cutting trees along a land boundary.
Police in Lira City are holding a 16-year-old boy suspected of hacking his paternal uncle to death following a dispute over cutting trees along a land boundary.
The suspect, a resident of Ongica A Cell, Barapwo Ward, Lira City, was arrested following the incident on October 14, 2026.
According to preliminary police investigations, the teen and the deceased, identified as Moses Nam, reportedly quarrelled at about 12:40pm over the cutting of trees along a land boundary before the disagreement escalated into a physical fight.
“During the fight, the suspect, who was armed with a panga, cut the deceased on the throat, killing him on the spot,” North Kyoga Region police spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema said on Wednesday.
Police said the deceased and the suspect were paternal uncle and nephew.
The incident was reported by the village chairperson, prompting police to register a murder case and begin investigations.
“The scene of crime was visited and documented by the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO),” Okema said.
He added that the deceased’s body was retrieved and taken to Lira Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Police also recovered the alleged murder weapon from the scene and retained it as an exhibit to support investigations.
Okema condemned the killing and urged members of the public to resolve disagreements peacefully rather than resorting to violence.
“We encourage peaceful approaches, including dialogue, mediation and forgiveness, rather than resorting to violence, which can lead to tragic and irreversible consequences,” he said.
Police said investigations into the incident were ongoing.