Police in Masaka have identified a recently arrested murder suspect, Kulaish Kamugisha, as Fred Mujulizi, a long-wanted suspected serial killer who has been on the police wanted list for more than a decade over a series of gruesome killings in the Greater Masaka sub-region.
The suspect was identified by both names when he appeared before the Masaka Grade One Magistrates Court, where he was charged with two counts of murder and human trafficking.
According to the charge sheet presented before Grade One Magistrate Primer Kyomugisha, Kamugisha, also known as Fred Mujulizi, allegedly committed the offences following the murder of an unidentified woman on September 28, 2026, in what investigators suspect was a ritual killing.
Prosecution alleges that the suspect lured the woman with a promise of an intimate relationship before beheading her in a suspected ritual murder.
He was jointly charged with Huzairuh Kyambadde, a resident of Nkoni Trading Centre in Lwengo District, whom police accuse of procuring the murder for witchcraft purposes.
Police say Mujulizi confessed to the killing, allegedly telling investigators that he murdered the woman in pursuit of wealth. Following the alleged confession, detectives searched his home in Butale Cell, Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City, where they recovered exhibits they believe could corroborate his account.
The two suspects appeared in court under tight security and were remanded to Masaka Central Prison until November 5, 2026, as investigations continue. Police say efforts are also underway to track down other suspects who remain at large.
Mujulizi has been on the police wanted list since 2012, when he was linked to a string of brutal killings that sent shockwaves across the Greater Masaka sub-region.
In 2013, the Director of Criminal Investigations released his photograph to the public, identifying him as a wanted suspect in connection with several murders, including the killing of nine members of one family in Kannabulemu Village, Kyebe Sub-county, Kyotera District.
In that incident, Mujulizi and his alleged accomplices reportedly drilled a hole into the house of Pentecostal pastor Steven Mugambe before hacking the occupants to death.
Police also linked him to the killing of six people from two families in Kyannamukaaka Sub-county, Masaka District, in late 2012.
More recently, in 2023, police linked the suspect to the murder of five people from two families in Kijonjo Village, Buwunga Sub-county, Masaka District.
According to previous police accounts, Mujulizi was allegedly part of a criminal gang involved in contract killings and reprisal attacks.
Twaha Kasirye, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, said investigators are reviewing files from previous murder cases to establish whether the suspect was involved in other killings.
Kasirye said additional charges could be brought against Mujulizi once investigators have corroborated the available evidence.
Police are also receiving members of the public who have come forward with allegations that Mujulizi was responsible for the deaths of their relatives, raising the possibility that the current case could lead to renewed investigations into unresolved murders across the region.
Police say Mujulizi had previously been arrested several times but allegedly escaped from custody on two occasions.
In another incident, police reportedly released him after he promised to help security agencies track down and arrest his alleged accomplices. However, investigators say he instead exploited the opportunity to flee and go into hiding.
His latest arrest and identification under the name Kulaish Kamugisha could therefore mark a significant development in a long-running investigation into some of the most disturbing killings reported in the Greater Masaka sub-region.
Investigations remain ongoing, and police are expected to establish the extent of his alleged involvement in previous cases as they gather and verify evidence. The allegations against both suspects remain subject to determination by the courts.
