Man killed after hacking wife to death

Police in Bugiri District has commenced investigations into the motive for the murder of a woman allegedly by her husband, who was later also killed by an angry mob.

Mr Patrick Bakaleka, 60, is alleged to have beaten Ms Teddy Nakaweesa, 50, to death on Monday morning before being killed by angry residents, Mr Benard Mulabi, a detective at Bugiri Police Station, said.

The couple was residing at Bupala Village, Buwunga Sub County in Bugiri District.

Mr Micheal Owori, a nephew to Ms Nakaweesa, said at around 8 am, he found Mr Bakaleka casually smoking at a shop located a few metres from the couple's house, saying he had come to buy a rope.

"He was all drenched in blood, prompting me to ask if he had been injured but he responded rudely. I then asked him if my auntie was okay to which he responded in the affirmative.

"But when I insisted on going to see her, he declined, saying nobody should go there; but I followed him to the house though he locked me out," Mr Owori recounted.

Mr Owori adds that he, however, managed to force his way into the house and found Mr Bakaleka fidgeting to hang himself with a rope, while the body of his auntie was slumped forward in a pool of blood.

Mr Owori reportedly raised an alarm that drew crowds to the scene and by the time police arrived at around 9 am, Mr Bakaleka also lay dead in the compound.

Detective Mulabi, who corroborated most of Mr Owori's account, said: "Investigations are on to establish the motive, however, preliminary investigations suggest the couple was drunk at around 7 am."

He added that a log and metal believed to be the murder weapons were recovered at the scene and are being processed.

"As police, we condemn such acts; it's bad that people living together can get to that," he said.

By press time, the bodies were still at Bugiri Hospital for an autopsy before being handed over to the relatives for burial.