Budaka, Uganda: Police have arrested a prime suspect in the brutal murder of Uganda Christian University (UCU) Director of Students’ Affairs Pamela Ruth Tumwebaze after he was allegedly found in possession of the deceased’s phone and other property.
Tumwebaze was attacked and killed in the early hours of February 11 at her home in Gwafu West Village, Seeta Ward, Goma Division, Mukono District, where she lived with her two sons, Elijah Matsiko, 13, and Noah Matsiko, 9, as well as a housemaid, Sharifa Lwatale, 20.
Police say they responded swiftly after receiving reports from neighbours about the attack. Officers cordoned off the scene to prevent interference as a team from the Directorate of Forensics, Criminal Investigations Directorate, and Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) joined the probe at around 6 am.
During the initial assessment, detectives established that Tumwebaze’s laptop and mobile phone were missing, prompting a digital trail investigation.
According to a senior detective involved in the case, officers from the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT) began tracking the deceased’s phone on February 12 through call data analysis. The device remained switched off for most of the day before it was eventually powered on, revealing a location in Budaka District.
A joint security team under the supervision of CID Director AIGP Tom Magambo was dispatched to Budaka to conduct surveillance using GPS tracking. Investigators discovered that the location of the suspect’s phone closely matched that of the deceased’s missing device.
Eight Arrested in Budaka
On February 13, security operatives carried out a coordinated operation in Nasenyi Village, Mugiti Sub-county, Budaka District, arresting eight young men whose phones had reportedly communicated with the key suspect.
Among those arrested was Tasyoma Taeweiko, a boda boda rider at Milo 5 along the Mbale–Tirinyi road and younger brother of the prime suspect. Investigators established that Tasyoma had contacted his brother six times using a phone registered to Rogers Opolot and had allegedly used multiple devices, raising suspicion of attempts to conceal communication trails.
The suspects were detained at Kamonkoli Police Station for interrogation.
Detectives later drove with Tasyoma and housemaid Sharifa Lwatale to Nabiketo Village in Tadameri Sub-county, approximately 20 kilometres away, where the prime suspect was found.
Police say Hussein Dak Taewaiko, aged between 23 and 24 and a former shamba boy at the deceased’s home until December, was arrested while at his mother’s residence. The housemaid reportedly identified him as the individual she saw inside the Seeta home on the night of the murder.
He was arrested alongside his mother before being transferred to Kampala.
Official Police Statement
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirmed the arrest of the suspected killer in a statement released Saturday, February 14, 2026.
“The Joint Security Task Team investigating the murder of Tumwebaze Pamela, the Director of Students’ Affairs at Uganda Christian University, has successfully arrested one of the key suspects identified as Taewaiko Dak Hussein in connection with the crime,” Kawala said.
Police said the suspect was found in possession of the deceased’s property, which investigators describe as critical evidence linking him to the murder.
He is currently detained at the Flying Squad headquarters in Kireka to assist with ongoing investigations. The facility is jointly accessed by JATT and police officers.
Investigations remain ongoing as security agencies continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the killing.
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