KABALE, UGANDA – Police in Kabale have launched a massive manhunt for a group of unidentified assailants following the aggravated robbery and brutal murder of a truck driver in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The victim has been identified as Katabazi Bernard, a 48-year-old driver and resident of Kyanika village, Ndangaro parish, Rutoto Sub-county, in Rubirizi District. He was employed by SOCO PRODI Ltd, a Rwandan company.
Reports indicate that Katabazi was transporting 35 tonnes of rice from Rwanda to the Mpondwe border, destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo, driving an Actros Benz truck (RAE 415A/RL2943).
At approximately 2:00 AM on Saturday, September 20, the driver’s journey was violently interrupted at Bufureka Trading Centre in Rukiga District, where an estimated 50 sacks of rice were forcibly stolen from his vehicle.
The unknown assailants, alleged to number several individuals, then forcibly removed Katabazi from his truck and subjected him to a vicious attack, cutting him multiple times and smashing his head, which resulted in his immediate death.
According to the Kigezi Police spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, the perpetrators dumped Katabazi’s lifeless body in the middle of the road at a secondary scene in Kyobugombe cell, Kaharo Sub-county, Kabale District.
Fellow drivers on the same route later made the grim discovery, recognized the victim as their colleague, and immediately alerted the authorities.
Maate confirmed that a team of police officers from Kabale District swiftly visited and processed both crime scenes, which were examined and documented by crime scene investigators.
The body of the deceased was conveyed to the Kabale Regional Referral Hospital mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
“Statements have been recorded from relevant witnesses to aid in the investigation. A hunt to trace the suspects is still ongoing, and inquiries are actively at hand,” stated ASP Maate.
This brutal attack underscores the perilous and often unsecured nature of regional cargo routes, highlighting a persistent threat to the safety of long-distance drivers and traders who are vital to cross-border commerce.
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