Pallisa, (UG):- Police in Pallisa District have arrested 30 individuals from Kapujan Sub-county in the neighbouring Katakwi District following the alleged murder of a man and subsequent vandalism of suspects’ homes.
The deceased, George William Malinga (33), a resident of Ariet village in Kapujan Sub-county, Katakwi District, was allegedly killed by two herbalists, identified as Edrisa Omaido Rashid (55) and Edrisa Omaido Junior (33).
The two suspects, now on the run, are accused of beating, strangling, and later hanging Malinga after a disagreement over payment for treatment they were administering to his wife.
Police reports suggest Malinga was beaten, strangled, and later hanged by the two herbalists after a disagreement over payment for treatment they had been administering to his wife.
Malinga had reportedly travelled to Nabitende village to check on his wife, who was undergoing mental health treatment at the herbalists’ home. He reportedly carried UGX 2.5 million, a portion of which (UGX 1 million) he had already paid as a deposit.
However, the herbalists allegedly became aggressive, demanding the remaining balance immediately. “I’m going to clear the bill, but call my wife so we can discuss how to raise the money,” Malinga was quoted as saying by a neighbor who preferred anonymity.
Concerned about the herbalists’ aggressive behaviour, Malinga is said to have called his family for assistance. Unfortunately, on the morning of Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Malinga’s lifeless body was found hanging from a tree near the suspects’ home in an induced suicide act.
Bukedi North Regional Police Commander, Mr Mwanga Kitiyo confirmed the incident, stating that file number CRB.007/2025 has been opened. He said a police sniffer dog tracked the scent to the homes of the two herbalists, but they had already fled.
“The deceased was last seen with the suspects, and the community woke up to find his lifeless body dangling from a tree. A sniffer dog led our detectives to the homes of Omaido Rashid and Omaido Junior,” Mwanga said.
Following the discovery of Malinga’s body, his relatives, led by Okello Francis, travelled from Katakwi to Pallisa and set the suspects’ homes ablaze. “An operation was mounted to repel the attack, and a total of 30 suspects from Katakwi were arrested for their role in the vandalism and arson,” Mwanga revealed.
The police commander emphasized that Malinga’s relatives will now face prosecution for taking the law into their own hands.
What community says
Local leaders condemned both the murder of Malinga and the retaliatory attack by his relatives. Ben Omio, the LC1 chairman of Nabitende village, decried the actions of both parties. “Malinga’s death is tragic, but it was wrong for his relatives to resort to unlawful acts. They should have reported to the authorities,” he said.
A woman, speaking anonymously, alleged that one of the herbalists fell in love with Malinga’s wife, which may have contributed to the crime. “When that man came with part of the six million he was to pay for treatment he asked to see his wife and request her demand for a top-up from his parents so that they get back home,” she said.
“The deceased was told to calm down with false allegation that his wife had visited a friend but at night it’s alleged they killed him and hanged his body,” she added.
Okello who commanded the angry Katakwi team firmly said the malice they did was nothing compared to their lifeless brother. “How on earth should one break someone’s family, take 3 million, kill the owner of the wife leaving the innocent children orphans?”
“They are lucky that by the time we arrived, police had arrived to take them. They are taking us to the police but we need a postmortem of our relative before he is taken with his wife home as we stay back as criminals,” Okello vowed.
District leaders speak out
When contacted, Godfrey Omolo, the Katakwi District Chairperson, expressed disappointment over the dual crimes. ” I learnt with profound shock the death of Malinga and the ruthlessness my people exhibited when they reached a scene of crime. It was unfortunate that they didn’t go with any leader but regardless of the crimes committed it should not cause a poor relationship between the two districts,” Omolo said.
The District boss stressed the authorities in Pallisa needed to check and monitor the conduct of the herbalists because that Nabitende community is feared by even people of Pallisa.
“How do you kill a person after giving you shs 1,000,000 and the balance was just shs.1,500,000 because you loved his wife? We shall engage the leadership of Pallisa to harmonize the situation”, he said. “We cannot tolerate such actions in our communities. This tragedy must serve as a wake-up call to monitor these so-called healers.”
Mr Magid Dhikusooka, the Pallisa Resident District Commissioner, condemned the retaliatory attack by Malinga’s relatives. “Their actions were barbaric. Instead of seeking guidance from local authorities or the police, they chose to commit crimes themselves. This only worsens the situation,” he said.
Dhikusooka called for calm and urged communities to work with authorities to prevent such incidents in the future and said a police hunt is actively on to have the two herbalists who remain at large, apprehended.
The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation from local leaders and communities in both districts.
Send us your or an opinion on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and updates.
