A lone individual, Isaac Niwagaba, has assumed responsibility for a string of heinous crimes that sent shockwaves through the Kajjansi community along Entebbe Road.
Contrary to initial reports, Niwagaba asserts that he acted alone in the gruesome murders of five women, leaving investigators to ponder the motivations behind these senseless killings. Niwagaba’s confession has led authorities to various locations, including traditional healing centers, where he sought spiritual purification, believing it would bring him solace.
Initial interrogations revealed Niwagaba’s apparent struggle with malevolent forces, adding a layer of complexity to the investigation. He admitted to taking the life of his romantic partner and subsequently silencing a potential witness, fearing repercussions.
A visit to a traditional healer allegedly planted the seed of wealth accumulation through further violence, setting Niwagaba on a deadly trajectory. He was driven by an insatiable desire for material gain and a penchant for brutality. His actions escalated into a pattern of violence along the Kampala-Entebbe highway, targeting women who crossed his path, leaving a trail of devastation.The most recent victim, Sandra Nangobi, vanished on May 15, 2024, leaving her family in a state of distress.
Niwagaba and his associates, including taxi operators Abbas Katongole, Ronald Matovu, and Ivan Bawongo, utilized a taxi with registration number UAU 738T to lure unsuspecting victims into their clutches. Overwhelming evidence, including a victim’s mobile phone, linked Niwagaba’s gang to the disappearances and murders, leaving no room for doubt. Niwagaba was apprehended on May 18 from a hideout in Rukiga district, and his accomplices were also brought to justice, bringing a sense of closure to the community.
A senior officer revealed that Niwagaba claimed one of his victims had defrauded him of sh200,000, leading to feelings of betrayal and rage. Niwagaba lured the woman and murdered her in retaliation, fueling a deadly cycle of violence. He kills with a ritualistic precision, leaving a signature mark at each crime scene. The pattern is clear; he continues to kill like it’s a compulsive act, driven by a sadistic desire for control and domination.
The detective described Niwagaba as a “sadist” whose appetite for money and blood combined to fuel the current episode of murders at Kajjansi on the Kampala-Entebbe highway.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are working to uncover the full extent of Niwagaba’s activities and any underlying motivations behind the gruesome crimes. Niwagaba told detectives that his first victim was his girlfriend, whom he killed in a fit of rage.
“He claimed that after the murder, a colleague advised him to seek a traditional healer for cleansing. Following this gruesome act, Niwagaba’s suspicion grew as his girlfriend’s friend began to suspect him of the crime. To silence her, Niwagaba lured and murdered her as well,” a cop close to the investigations said.
“It was during his second visit to the same traditional healer that Niwagaba was introduced to the possibility of obtaining wealth through further killings. This proposition set Niwagaba on a deadly path,” the detective added, describing Niwagaba as a “sadist” whose appetite for money and blood combined to fuel the current episode of murders at Kajjansi on the Kampala-Entebbe highway.
“He was a jilted lover who turned his initial crime into a habit. Having gotten away with one murder, he continued to kill the other women he pursued, turning it into a habit. He started off being jilted and then turned it into a compulsive behaviour,” the detective said.
The most recent case involved the disappearance of Sandra Nangobi on May 15, 2024. Her mother, Sulaina Tendo, reported her missing after Nangobi left her home in Kitende “B” cell, Kajjansi, at 5:00am but did not arrive at her workplace in Makindye, Kampala. Her phone was switched off and her whereabouts remained unknown until this week.On May 9, 2024, another unidentified woman’s body was found along the Jjanja-Lutembe Beach road at around 9:00am. The body had been dumped by an unknown vehicle, according to witnesses.
Another victim, Jenipher Nassali, was found on April 29, 2024, in Bweya cell, Kajjansi town council.Police said she had been strangled, with her face blindfolded in a polythene bag. On April 23, 2024, the body of an unidentified woman was also discovered in a sack in Kawotto cell, Kajjansi town council.A male suspect was captured on camera fleeing the scene after setting the body on fire.
Police said the first incident with similar hallmarks occurred on March 31, 2024, when the body of 25-yearold Judith Awori, a waitress at Royal Ark Restaurant in Lweza cell, Ndejje, Kajjansi town council, was found near St Luke’s Church in Lweza. Awori had also been strangled.A senior officer who spoke to New Vision yesterday said Niwagaba said that one of his victims had allegedly fleeced him of sh200, 000.
Substantial evidence, including the cellular phone of one of the victims, linked Nuwagaba’s gang to the disappearance and deaths of the six women. Niwagaba aka Mukiga, was picked up on Saturday, May 18 from a hideout in Rwakimuli cell, Bukinda trading centre, Bukinda sub-county in Rukiga district.
Alongside Nuwagaba, taxi touts Abbas Katongole, Ronald Matovu and Ivan Bawongo, were also arrested. The gang used a taxi, registration number UAU 738T, to lure the victims.“It is said Nuwagaba had been using the deceased’s phone, which the Police tracked, and at the time of arrest on Saturday, he was still using it to communicate with his associates. It has been kept as an exhibit. It was also key in apprehending his accomplices,” a detective said
