Police in Kassanda District have recovered the body of a woman who went missing after a brutal robbery attack that left her husband dead in Lukira village, Myanzi Sub-county.
The deceased, identified as Mariza Regina, was discovered on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in a neighbouring Kyaseta village after residents intensified the search for her. Her body was found halfway buried in a garden in a decomposing state, several days after the deadly attack.
The incident happened on the night of 2 July 2026 when unknown assailants attacked a residence where Ssali Joseph, 48, and his wife Mariza Regina were staying. The couple was working as caretakers of gardens and animals belonging to their employer, identified as Lukwago.
Police said that on the morning of 3 July 2026, neighbours became suspicious after noticing Mr Lukwago’s cows wandering freely in their gardens. They alerted the village chairperson, Kakinda Sulaiman, who mobilised residents to check on the couple.
When they arrived at the home, they found disturbing scenes, including signs that the house had been broken into, evidence of a struggle, and blood stains inside the residence.
The residents followed the blood trail from the house to a nearby coffee garden, where they discovered Ssali Joseph lying in a pool of blood. Preliminary investigations indicated that the attackers used sharp and blunt objects, suspected to be a panga and hammer, to kill him.
Police homicide detectives from Kassanda visited the scene and launched investigations into the incident. According to preliminary findings, the attackers stole money and seven sacks of coffee before escaping with one of the victims.
A police sniffer dog was introduced to help track the suspects, but the trail could not be followed because of the delay before the search began. Investigators also established that the attackers likely used motorcycles to move to and from the scene.
Since the attack, police and residents of Lukira village had been conducting extensive searches for Mariza Regina, whose whereabouts remained unknown until her body was discovered.
The Wamala Region Police spokesperson, SSP L. Kigozi, said detectives are doing everything possible to identify and arrest the suspects behind the attack, which has caused fear and sadness among residents of Lukira village and the wider Kassanda District.
Authorities have urged members of the public to provide any information that could help in the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
