By Everest Mukiibi
Police in Lyantonde is holding a man accused of strangling his wife to death before hanging her body inside their house. The suspect is a 35 year-old Coleb Akandwanaho, a resident of Romutunga village, Kaliiro sub-county.
He is said to have strangled his wife Sharon Nimurungi, 21, to death and locked her body together with their 4-months-old baby in the house on February 22, 2022. At first, Kaliro Police Station treated it as a suicide case.
Ben Tushabomwe, the Officer in Charge of Kaliro Police Station dispatched homicide detectives who removed the body and took it to Lyantonde general hospital for a postmortem. Doctors confirmed that Nimurungi had allegedly hanged herself.
The body was taken to Nimurungi’s parents’ home for burial. However, fresh information emerged indicating that she had been killed and hanged to appear as if it was suicide to divert police attention from the actual perpetrators.
She was buried as the family pursued Lyantonde District Police Commander, Scovia Birungi to find and arrest the suspects in their daughter’s death. However, Birungi, declined to arrest Akandwanaho and left him to roam freely, which perturbed the deceased’s family.
They petitioned the Police Professional Standards Unit in Masaka for intervention. On Wednesday, detectives arrested Akandwanaho along with two other people believed to be his accomplices.
Muhammad Nsubuga, the Southern Regional Police spokesman, says,the suspects have been transferred to Masaka central police station for questioning.
Nsubuga noted that Akandwanaho’s family members concealed the crime to protect him but information about his wife’s death leaked. He says that the other two other accomplices include Akandwanaho’s sister and shamba boy. The suspects have been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder contrary to Chapter 20, section 208 of the penal code act.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com