Police in Mityana district are holding a man for allegedly suffocating his girlfriend to death over family misunderstandings.
The suspect in custody is identified as Jackson Tumukunde facing murder charges in relation to the death of his 31-year-old girlfriend, Lydia Kobusingye.
The couple lived in Kakonde-Katwe village, Bulamu parish, Bulera subcounty, Mityana district.
According to police, the investigation into this incident began on October 24 when a missing person case was filed at Mityana police station and a search was launched.
In a statement by the regional police commander Racheal Kawala, “On October 29, 2023, at around 11:00 am, a one Harriet Nanyonjo discovered the deceased’s body buried in their shared garden in Kakonde-Katwe village, Mityana district.”
Police investigators who visited the scene confirmed that it was the body of Lydia Kobisingye and that preliminary findings suggest that Kobusingye was last seen with her boyfriend (the suspect) in the morning as they were preparing their garden together before her disappearance.
“It is alleged that the couple had a history of domestic disputes, even leading to a temporary separation, but they later reconciled.” Police established.
The body of the deceased was retrieved from a shallow pit near a makeshift structure inside their garden. “It had been wrapped in a torn old mosquito net, with her head tied with a polythene sack suspected to have been used for suffocation before her body was buried.”
Tumukunde is currently held in custody at Mityana Central Police Station, while the body is still undergoing postmortem at Mityana hospital.
Following the incident, the regional police urged victims of domestic violence or abuse to report to police so that such aggravated crimes could be avoided.
