Three men are in police custody over the alleged murder of a primary school teacher
Three men are in police custody over the alleged murder of a primary school teacher in Itiba Village, Paloga Sub-County, Lamwo District.
The suspects, all residents of the area, are accused of fatally assaulting 38-year-old Robert Ongala, a science teacher at Mary Immaculate Nursery and Primary School, on Easter Monday.
According to police, Ongala was attacked during a quarrel that broke out at the home of one of the suspects, where community members had gathered for Easter celebrations.
“It’s alleged that on April 21, 2025, Ongala left his home and went to the home of one of the suspects. He developed a quarrel with him over unknown reasons, which escalated into a fight. The suspect was later joined by two others, who helped him assault the victim,” said Aswa East regional police spokesperson Joe Oloya.
The three allegedly boxed and kicked Ongala during the altercation, which occurred at a local bar.
“Other people intervened and managed to separate them. Ongala was escorted back to his home but was later found dead around 3pm,” Oloya told journalists on Tuesday.
The body was taken to Padibe Health Centre IV for a postmortem as investigations continue.
“Police have opened a case of murder by assault against the three suspects, who remain in custody at Lamwo Central Police Station,” Oloya added, noting that the cause of the fight remains unknown.
Anthony Akera, the chairperson of Paloga Sub-County, said the suspects and the victim were clan brothers.
“There is an ongoing mediation process to see how this can be resolved even as police investigations continue,” he told Monitor.
The killing brings to six the number of fatal assault cases reported in the Aswa East Police Region since the start of the year.
According to the Uganda Police Force’s 2024 annual crime report, at least 1,339 people were killed through assault last year. Other leading causes included murder by mob action (1,016 deaths), strangulation (491), hacking (310), and blunt force trauma (326). Domestic violence, poisoning, arson, and shootings were also recorded.
In total, 4,329 people were killed in Uganda in 2024, an average of 12 murders per day.