Mukono, Uganda: Fresh details have emerged in the brutal killing of Uganda Christian University (UCU) Dean of Students Pamela Tumwebaze, with investigators revealing that her attacker appeared to know her, and shockingly wore her clothes before fleeing through the main gate.
By 9 am on Thursday, Tumwebaze’s home in Gwafu Village, Goma Division, had been sealed off by heavily armed security personnel. More than 10 armed officers stood guard outside the residence, with police vehicles stationed at the gate and along the road as forensic teams combed the scene for evidence.
While Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ms Rachael Kawala said preliminary investigations indicate that Tumwebaze was strangled by suspected criminals who raided her residence in the early hours of Tuesday night, at the centre of the unfolding mystery is testimony from the housemaid, 20-year-old Sharifa Lwatale, who provided chilling details of the moments leading up to the discovery of her employer’s body.
“Your boss knows me”
Police say at around 2am, the housemaid saw an unknown man inside the house. “The suspect was later seen wearing jeans and stockings in her bedroom before fleeing with a laptop bag belonging to the deceased,” Ms Kawala said, adding that task teams have been deployed to trace the killer.
But the maid’s account suggests a deeper layer to the crime. “I heard someone walking, but I thought it was my boss,” Lwatale said. “He switched on the lights, including in my room, and asked for the keys to the gate.”
When she asked who he was, the man reportedly replied: “Your boss knows me. You can go and ask her who I am.”
The assailant then allegedly escorted her to Tumwebaze’s bedroom. “She was lying fully covered. He uncovered her and asked me if I had seen my boss properly,” the maid recounted. “I was afraid and gave him the keys.”
In a disturbing twist, the suspect reportedly put on one of Tumwebaze’s dresses, added his jacket, covered his head with a hood, and calmly walked out through the gate.
“He escaped through the gate,” Lwatale said.
No signs of forced entry
Police have noted there were no immediate signs of forced entry, raising suspicions that the assailant may have been known to the deceased or gained access through familiarity.
After the attacker fled, neighbours were alerted, and Tumwebaze was rushed to Namirembe Church of Uganda Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
“The Uganda Police Force remains fully committed to ensuring that the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice,” Ms Kawala said, stressing that investigators have since collected forensic evidence from the scene and are analysing potential leads.
Community in shock
Residents described Tumwebaze as friendly, devoted to her children, and deeply committed to her work.
Mr Alex Wasswa, the area chairperson, said the deceased had lived in the neighbourhood for four years without incident. “She was peaceful and social. This area has not had serious insecurity issues before,” he said.
Ms Alice Nakigozi, a neighbour, said Tumwebaze often cared for children and was actively involved in community life. “She always left with her children and returned with them. She was a good neighbour,” Nakigozi said.
A casual worker, Mr Amos Ziwa, described her as generous and trusting. “She used to send me to buy items and would pay on phone. She called me over the weekend for errands. That was the last time,” he said.
A respected educator
Tumwebaze, fondly referred to by students as “the coolest DOSA,” had preached at UCU’s bi-weekly community worship service just hours before her death, delivering a sermon themed “Your role in building healthy relationships.”
Her academic journey spanned decades of service and excellence. She studied at Uganda Martyrs’ Primary School, Kinyasano Girls’ High School, and Kyeizooba Girls’ High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Education from UCU (2000–2003). She later obtained a Master’s degree in Literature (2007), a Master’s in Strategic Communication (2025), and was pursuing a PhD in Journalism, Media and Communication.
In a statement, UCU described her as “an educator, beacon of kindness, compassion, and strength,” whose life was “brutally cut short.”
Questions remain
Key questions now dominate the investigation: How did the attacker gain entry without force? Why did he claim familiarity with the victim? And was robbery the primary motive, given that only a laptop bag and phone were reportedly taken?
Police have urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue.
For now, what remains is a chilling portrait of a calculated act, one that suggests familiarity, confidence, and a deliberate attempt to disguise identity before escape.
More updates will follow as the investigation unfolds.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
