KISORO, Uganda — Police in the Kigezi Region are investigating a shocking murder-by-assault and cover-up case involving officers attached to Uganda Police Force Nyabwishenya Police Station in Kisoro District after a Congolese national allegedly died in custody and was secretly buried.
The case was registered under CRB 437/2026 for murder by assault and SD Reference 39/09/05/2026 for scandalous conduct.
According to a police report, the deceased, commonly known as Uwimana, a Congolese male adult aged about 30 years, was allegedly arrested on the night of 6th May 2026, following a misunderstanding at a bar where he was accused of threatening some individuals.
Police investigations indicate that the suspects, identified as Nsabimana Johnbosco and Hakuzimana Mpunuseni, allegedly assaulted the deceased severely and tied him with ropes while taking him to Nyabwishenya Police Station. His condition reportedly deteriorated along the way, forcing him to sit down before police officers were called to take him into custody.
At the station, the deceased was allegedly charged with threatening violence and detained overnight. However, on the morning of 7th May, officers reportedly found him dead inside the police cells.
The incident took a dramatic turn after the Officer in Charge (OC) allegedly failed to notify higher authorities at the Central Police Station (CPS) as required. Instead, he reportedly instructed the suspects who had assaulted the deceased to “take away their person.”
According to the report, the suspects became confused and requested the OC to handle the matter officially. It is then alleged that the OC, together with some officers, devised a plan to secretly dispose of the body in order to destroy evidence.
Police say the body was allegedly packed in a sack and transported during the evening before being buried on land belonging to a one Hon. Kamala.
The matter later came to light after relatives of the deceased learned that Uwimana had been arrested and taken to police custody. When they visited Nyabwishenya Police Station, they were allegedly informed that he had already been released.
The family subsequently opened a missing person case at the same station under SD REF 06/08/05/2026 before informing their relatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Authorities say the deceased’s clan members later crossed into Uganda and attacked the suspects accused of assaulting Uwimana while demanding answers about his whereabouts. Local leaders reportedly intervened to calm the situation.
Security agencies later received intelligence that another group of Congolese nationals was planning to attack Nyabwishenya Police Station over the disappearance. The Busanza Border Internal Security Officer (BISO) alerted the District Police Commander (DPC), prompting a fact-finding mission that reportedly uncovered the alleged cover-up.
Three police officers attached to Nyabwishenya Police Station have since been implicated in the scandalous conduct case. They include Corporal Musabimana Wicklif, Police Constable Apeti Kizito, and Police Constable Yebuze Moris.
Police said the scene has been visited by investigators from CPS and the suspected grave has been identified pending exhumation and postmortem examination.
Authorities added that suspects connected to the case have been arrested, while security has been heightened at the police station to prevent possible attacks from angry Congolese nationals as investigations continue.
