Uganda’s Gruesome Serial Killer

The bodies of at least 20 women have been found in two areas of Uganda’s Wakiso District, Katabi and Nansana, since May this year.

The victims were all young women, who were raped, strangled and mutilated. Many of the victims had their faces cut off. One witness said that this horrific behaviour made it seem “as if the killer was making a mask”.

According to Georgewilliam Kakooza, a journalist who lives in Katabi, the bodies began to appear in February of this year, but initially nobody noticed a pattern. He speculated that this is because the victims were poor, and “just passing through for work”.

As the murders continued Kakooza began following the story closely: “Someone goes missing then days later, sometimes a week, their decomposing body is discovered. But at that place there’s no blood and no signs of a struggle. I think they’re being taken somewhere then their body dumped later.”

In August of this year, Ugandan police arrested more than 30 people in the area for murder and terrorism.

However, authorities have not yet commented on whether the arrests are linked to these murders. It seems unlikely, however, as the killings have continued.

As the bodies pile up, locals have lost faith in the police and have taken matters into their own hands. According to a local volunteer, no new remains have been found since they’ve started patrolling the area at night.

National police spokesman, Asan Kasingye, said that fears of a serial killer are unfounded. He has blamed “an organised criminal gang with strong links to ritual murders”, as well as “domestic violence”.

Meanwhile, Parliament Interior Minister Jeje Odongo has attributed the murders to the Illuminati, a secret society often blamed by conspiracy theorists for violence.

Inspector General of the Police Kale Kayihura insists that authorities have the situation under control.