The Police in Kitagwenda District have arrested Amarakutunga Levi, a local musician and male councilor representing persons with disabilities, over the alleged ritual murder of a 4-year-old child from Nyaruhanda Village.
According to a police statement issued on March 19, the child went missing on March 16 after being sent to a neighbor’s house, only for the body to be discovered the next morning in a bush.
“Our investigations, including the use of a K-9 unit, led to Levi’s home, which is about 300 meters from the crime scene,” police stated.
A suspected panga with bloodstains was recovered about 200 meters from the child’s body. Further searches at Levi’s home revealed incriminating evidence, including a bucket of water containing blood-stained clothes and blood splashes on a wall.
“The evidence gathered strongly links the suspect to the crime, and we are treating this case as a suspected ritual sacrifice,” police added.
Ritual killings remain a concern in Uganda, with children being the most targeted victims. A 2024 Uganda Police report showed fluctuations in ritual murder cases over the years, recording 46 cases in 2021, 72 in 2022, 84 in 2023, and 72 in 2024. Experts note that children are often targeted because they are vulnerable and perceived ‘Pure’ spiritually.
