Suspected Kajjansi serial killer handcuffed after his arrest in Bukinda sub-county, Rukiga District
Isaac Niwagaba, a taxi driver operating on Entebbe Road, has confessed to crime intelligence and flying squad teams to the murder of four women, whom he killed for allegedly cheating on him.
Nuwagaba was tracked and arrested over the weekend from his hideout at Rwakimuli cell, Bukinda sub-county, in Rukiga District.
He admitted to strangling the women inside his taxi and subsequently dumping their bodies in bushes in Lweza and Kajjansi, both located along Entebbe Road in Wakiso District. Nuwagaba stated that he had given money to the women, who were mostly aged between 20 and 25, but became enraged when he found out that they were dating other men.
He cited an incident where he strangled a woman a week ago after spending Shs200,000 on her and was later seen with another man.
“When I saw her with another man, I did not bother showing myself to them. I kept quiet and later persuaded her to come and meet me. When she came alone, I grabbed her and then strangled her to death. I dumped her body here,” Nuwagaba said pointing at a bush in Kajjansi where police eventually discovered a decomposing body of an adult female.
The murders occurred between March and May 2024. Judith Awori, Nuwagaba’s first victim, was abducted and murdered on March 31, 2024. Awori, a waitress at Royal Ark Restaurant in Lweza Cell, Ndejje, Kajjansi Town Council, was found dead near St. Luke Church in Lweza. All signs indicated she was strangled elsewhere and her body dumped there.
Another woman was kidnapped on April 23 and suffocated to death. Nuwagaba and three other men placed her body in a sack and dumped it at Kawotto cell, Kajjansi Town Council. CCTV footage captured a suspect fleeing the scene after setting fire to the sack. On April 29, another female, identified as Nassali Jenipher, was murdered, her body was also found in Kajjansi town council.
“The deceased had signs of strangulation, around the neck, the face was blindfolded in a polythene bag,” Flying Squad said in a report. Nuwagaba was found with tangible evidence, including phones and personal items of the victims, following his arrest.
The police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, confirmed Niwagaba's arrest and mentioned that the taxis used in the crimes had been impounded.
Other suspects arrested include; Abbas Katongole, Ronald Matovu, and Herbert Turyashemererwa. They admitted to collaborating with Nuwagaba to lure female victims into taxis, where Nuwagaba would strangle or suffocate them before robbing them of their belongings.
“We would proceed to rob their bags, smartphones, and other valuables and he would dump the bodies of the victims, within Kajjansi Town Council,” Katongole allegedly said.
The investigation revealed that the group had killed six women, despite Nuwagaba admitting to killing only four. Most of the bodies have not been identified, and police are using DNA samples to trace relatives.
The latest body, believed to be that of Sandra Nangobi, was found along Jjanja-Lutembe Beach road on May 9, 2024.
“We suspect Nangobi could be Nuwagaba’s last victim before he fled to Rukiga District. We also believe the body we found at a scene where he took us on Monday was that of Sandra Nangobi and we are going to invite her mother Sulaina Tendo for body identification or DNA examination,” detectives said.
