Two arrested as police recover body of man who went missing in July

Police in Rukungiri District have arrested two suspects amid an ongoing hunt for others still at large in connection with the murder of 20-year-old boda-boda rider Martin Twebaze, commonly known as Kagame.

Twebaze, who was a resident of Iterero Cell, Kacence Parish, Nyakishenyi Sub-County in Rukungiri District, went missing on July 30, 2024, and his decomposing body was found on Tuesday in Echuya Forest Reserve in Muko Sub-County, Rubanda District.

His motorcycle was reported robbed when he was hired by Chrysostom Byomugabe and Amon Asiimwe with the pair asking Twebaze to transport them from Iterero Trading Centre to Kisoro Town for a Shs60, 000 substantial payment.

Police on Wednesday said they had detained Byomugabe and Asiimwe over the murder, noting that they had been staying in Iterere disguising as casual labourers.

According to a July 30 police statement, Byomugabe initiated the ride at around 6:30pm from the Kampala Omukiragiro boda-boda stage in Kacence Parish, Nyakishenyi Sub-County, Rukungiri District.

Twebaze informed a fellow boda-boda rider, identified as Kato Benson, that he would return the following day.

On their way to Rubanda, Byomugabe reportedly coordinated with Asiimwe and another accomplice, who waited for them at Echuya Forest Reserve along the Kabale-Kisoro Road.

When Twebaze failed to return to Nyakishenyi on July 31, 2024, his fellow riders became suspicious.

“They called his (the deceased’s) phone number but it was unavailable. The concerned riders informed their chairman Martin Nuwahereza, who reported Twebaze’s disappearance to the police on August 2, 2024, along with the missing motorcycle,” Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Maate said.

A case of disappearance is now being investigated as murder and aggravated robbery, according to Maate.

“The deceased’s SIM card, was tracked, revealing a common caller, 0785342485. The call logs led us to another number, 0764271122, registered to Isaac Tuyisenge, who was arrested in Kisoro Town,” Maate explained.

Maate added: “Tuyisenge was found in possession of the deceased’s motorcycle, leading to the arrest of Byomugabe, who confessed that Twebaze was murdered in Echuya Forest Reserve, and his body dumped there”.

“The scene of the crime was visited and examined by the regional Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) and other personnel from Rukungiri and Rubanda districts. An axe was recovered at the crime scene as evidence, statements were recorded from witnesses, and a postmortem was conducted,” Maate told journalists.

At least 25 lives are lost to murder and accidents daily, the 2023 annual crime police report highlighted.