Police in Rukungiri District are searching for the LC1 Chairman of Ikondere Cell, Benson Turyahabwe, in connection with the alleged murder of a 28-year-old man accused of stealing coffee.

The deceased, Robert Muhumuza also known as Muja, a resident of Ruyonja Cell in Nyarushanje Sub-county, was reportedly assaulted by a group led by Turyahabwe in the early hours of Monday, June 2.

Among the suspects are Turyahabwe’s wife, Christine Turyahabwe, an employee identified as Girigori, and several other unidentified individuals.

According to police reports, Muhumuza had spent the night at the home of a friend, Mwesigwa Hillary, in Nyarushanje Trading Centre. The two men were reportedly resting when, around midnight, a group led by the LC1 chairman arrived at the house, knocked on the door, and forced their way in.

The group allegedly tied both Muhumuza and Mwesigwa with ropes and began to beat them, accusing them of stealing coffee from Turyahabwe’s property.

The commotion attracted Mwesigwa’s brother, Akampa Felix, who intervened and managed to stop the assault however the attackers fled the scene leaving Muhumuza in critical condition.

Police in a statement disclosed that Mwesigwa discovered that his friend had died at around 3:00 PM on Monday and immediately informed his brother, who then reported the incident to authorities.

Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson Elly Maate confirmed the incident, stating that a case of murder has been registered at Rubabo Police Station.

“Officers responded to the scene, recorded witness statements, and conducted a postmortem examination on the deceased. Mwesigwa was also medically examined for injuries sustained during the attack,” Maate said.

The suspects are currently on the run, but investigations are underway and efforts to apprehend them are ongoing.

Authorities are urging the public to provide any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.