Ssezibwa regional police are investigating the circumstances under which 50-year-old Steven Byakatonda, a renowned coffee and cocoa trader in Ssi Bukunja Sub County, Buikwe district, was found dead in his house.

Byakatonda’s body was discovered by his son on February 11, 2025, in Seira Binga village in Ssi Bukunja Sub County in Buikwe district.

According to David Sebitosi, the LC I Chairman of Seira village, the locals had spent three days without seeing him, prompting them to summon his son to inquire about his whereabouts.

The deceased’s son arrived at his father’s home and knocked at his door, but there was no response.

However, a foul stench coming from the house made him worried, forcing him to alert the LC I chairman.

’’When I arrived, I allowed Byakatonda’s son to break the door with other locals; however, to our dismay, we found his body chopped to pieces with half of it decomposed,’’ Sebitosi said.

Authorities believe that the murder was committed by his close associates because his money and personal belongings were found missing.

Ssezibwa Police Spokesperson Hellen Butoto confirmed that investigations are underway.

Butoto noted that the killers might have followed Byakatonda after he received a huge payment he had received after selling off his coffee.

’’We are going to do our best to look for these killers because their act of killing and then eating someone when dead is so weird, scary, and heart-wrenching,’’ Butoto said.

Butoto cautioned against carrying large sums of money, which pose significant risks, and urged traders and others to seek protection during their transactions.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the community due to its brutality and unusual nature after postmortem results pointed to suspected cannibalism.