By Anthony Kushaba
The police in Rwampara District are currently holding two suspects in connection with the brutal murder and dumping of a 14-year-old male juvenile, Ssenyondo Mariamungu, in the River Rwizi.
The victim, a Muganda by tribe and a resident of Kikonkoma 1 cell, Kikonkoma ward, Kabura Town Council, fell victim to a violent act allegedly orchestrated by close family members.
Rwizi regional police spokesperson Samson Kasasira says that the incident occurred on January 1, 2024, when family members, including Nalongo Korubaro, a stepmother to the deceased, accused Ssenyondo of stealing clothes and phones belonging to some of the suspects. In an attempt to recover the alleged stolen property, the family members subjected the young boy to severe beatings until he disclosed the location where he had hidden the items. After retrieving the belongings in Nyeihanga Town, the group returned home to Nalongo Korubaro’s residence in Kikonkoma village, where they continued to torture Ssenyondo until his untimely death.
As the shocking details unfolded, it was revealed that on January 3, 2024, at around midnight, the perpetrators hired a vehicle belonging to Agaba Owen. In the company of Mweteise Michael and Arinaitwe Patrick, they transported the lifeless body to Mbarara City along the Mbarara-Masha Road and callously dumped it into the River Rwizi.
The mother of the deceased, Kobusingye Evalyne, a 38-year-old resident of Kicwamba, Mbarara City South, reported the matter to the police after discovering her son’s disappearance. This report led to the swift arrest of Mweteise Michael, Arinaitwe Patrick, and Agaba Owen. During the subsequent interrogation, the suspects disclosed the horrifying details of the incident, implicating eight other individuals who are currently on the run.
All the suspects involved in this gruesome murder are close relatives who have raised Ssenyondo since childhood. The victim’s mother, Kobusingye Evalyne, separated from the father in Mityana District and entrusted the care of her son to the stepmother, Nalongo Korubaro.
On Tuesday at approximately 5:00 PM, the police successfully retrieved the decomposing body of Ssenyondo Mariamungu from the River Rwizi in Mbarara City. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects, shedding light on the dark family secrets that led to this tragic loss of life.
