NEWS- The decomposing body of the missing Diocese of Kigezi catechist has been recovered by Kabale police on Saturday in the Rwabakazi River of Kyanamira along the Kabale-Mbarara road.
The deceased, identified as Aryatwijuka Living, a 40-year-old male and the church catechist of Rubira Church of Uganda, was a resident of Katookye cell, Kigata parish, Kyanamira Sub County in Kabale district.
According to the police statement, the victim left his home on 15th January 2024 at around 10am on his motorcycle and did not return until approximately 9pm, which prompted his wife, Ninsiima Prudence to start calling his phone, but it was off. The search was thereafter initiated by relatives who discovered his maroon coat, church books and the church money receipt abandoned along the Kabale-Mbarara road.
On 16th January 2024 around 8am, Prudence was informed that the motorcycle had been found abandoned at Lubira village along the Mbarara road in Kabale and was taken to the chairman LC 2 by two good Samaritans who later informed Police. Upon receiving this information, D/SP Mukama Hakim dispatched a team of homicide, crime intelligence, local leaders, and church leaders to visit the scene and search for the victim, but their efforts were fruitless.
However, the deceased’s body was discovered floating on river Rwabakazi on Saturday around 11am after days of searching.
ASP Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, informed our reporter that the case file of the disappearance (CRB 063/2024) has been changed to a murder investigation. The crime scene was visited by a team of homicide detectives led by D/SP Mukama Hakim together with SOCO, local leaders, church leaders, and other homicide detectives.
Maate added that relevant statements were recorded, the victim’s body was recovered, and a postmortem examination was conducted before handing over the body to relatives for burial.
However, Maate revealed that no arrests have been made yet as investigations into the matter are ongoing.
