Buikwe, Uganda: The family of murdered casual labourer Jessica Mutesi has lashed out at police and prosecutors after former Jinja City education officer Amina Mutesi was released on bond, despite being a prime suspect in the gruesome killing linked to ritual sacrifice.
Ms Mutesi, who was arrested alongside two other suspects, including a man identified as David, was released from Buikwe Central Police Station last week, a decision that has triggered sharp protests from the deceased’s relatives, accusing police of shielding suspects involved in capital offences.
“She was given a police bond on the advice of the Resident Senior State Attorney (RSSA),” said Sezibwa Regional Police Spokesperson SP Hellen Butoto. “Amina Mutesi was kept at the police station for a week as the RSSA perused the file, and later advised us to charge Innocent Gasyodo but release Amina and David on police bond.”
SP Butoto clarified that the release of the suspects does not exonerate them, stating that inquiries into the matter are still ongoing.
However, the deceased’s family has accused the criminal justice system of bias and neglect, claiming they were not officially informed about the release of the suspects. “The police didn’t bother to inform us. We only heard it through rumors. It is unfair to release people facing capital offences,” a distraught family member told DailyExpress.
Initial police investigations allege that Gasyodo lured Jessica Mutesi to Nyenga in Buikwe District under the pretense of offering her a job. Gasyodo and David reportedly took her to Amina Mutesi’s home, where she was strangled and murdered in what has been described as a ritual sacrifice.
Police say the family was later contacted by an unidentified caller demanding ransom for her release, prompting them to file a kidnap-for-ransom report in April 2025. Gasyodo was arrested shortly after and reportedly confessed that Amina had contracted him to find a human for ritual purposes, promising Shs3 million in return.
Gasyodo told investigators that he and David executed the plan and killed Jessica at Amina’s home. After the murder, he claimed, Amina handed them only Shs500,000 instead of the agreed Shs3 million.
The body of Jessica Mutesi was later exhumed from Amina’s home after police launched a joint operation following Gasyodo’s confession.
Amina Mutesi, who is also facing corruption charges over alleged mismanagement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) funds, was previously remanded in August 2024 but later secured bail. Her re-arrest in connection with the murder had raised hopes among the victim’s family for justice, but her recent release has left them feeling betrayed.
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