By Eye Media Reporter | Jinja
Shock and disbelief Thursday June 5, 2025 gripped residents of Nyenga, Njeru Municipality in Buikwe District on Thursday as police exhumed the decomposing body of Jesca Mutesi from beneath the kitchen floor of the home belonging to former Jinja City Education Officer, Aminah Mutesi.
The exhumation followed a chilling breakthrough in an ongoing ritual murder investigation that has left the entire community in horror.
According to Kiira Region Police Spokesperson, SSP James Mubi, a joint operation led by the Regional CID Officer, SSP Milton Birungi Beigumamu, was mounted after police secured a court order authorizing the exhumation.
A team comprising a pathologist, Scene of Crime officers, and Flying Squad operatives conducted the operation early Thursday morning. The remains of the victim were recovered from Aminah ‘s compound and transported to the City Mortuary in Kampala for DNA forensic analysis.
Two casual labourers arrested earlier confessed that they had been hired by Aminah Mutesi to strangle Jesca Mutesi for ritual sacrifice.
They further revealed that after helping to bury the body, they were paid only Shs 500,000 of the agreed Shs 3 million — a payment dispute that ultimately exposed the crime.
The news has stunned residents of Nyenga and Jinja, many of whom knew Aminah Mutesi as a respected education officer.
“I cannot believe that Madam Aminah, whom our children looked up to as a role model, could be involved in such a barbaric act,” said Norah Nakirya, a mother of three who lives nearby.
“She was always teaching values and discipline in schools. How could she turn around and do this?”
Another resident, who witnessed the police exhumation, remarked: “When they started digging, we all thought it was a mistake. But when the body was brought out, people were wailing here. We are still in shock.”
A 67-year-old who identified himself only as Kafeero, added: “I have lived here for over 40 years. I never imagined that a woman of such stature would involve in such an atrocity. The whole village is confused and traumatised.”
In an emotional reaction, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Pallisa, Majid Dhikusooka, whose own mother shares the name “Mutesi,” said he was devastated by the news.
“I am in utter shock. My mother is called Mutesi, and to hear that someone with her name could do this is heartbreaking,” RDC Dhikusooka told Eye Media. “How did Aminah get the courage to commit a human sacrifice? I appeal to God Almighty to punish whoever was behind this evil act.”
SSP Mubi confirmed that two key suspects remain in custody at Njeru Central Police Station. He also revealed that more suspects are being pursued as investigations widen.
“The case file has officially been handed over to Njeru Police for full prosecution,” SSP Mubi said. “We shall ensure that all those involved in this gruesome murder face justice.”
Meanwhile, the people of Nyenga and the wider Jinja community continue to struggle to come to terms with the horror discovered in their midst.
