KASSANDA – Police in Kassanda District have recovered the body of a woman who had been missing since a deadly robbery claimed the life of her husband last week.
The body of Mariza Regina was discovered on Tuesday, bringing a tragic end to a six-day search after she was abducted during a violent attack that also left her husband, Ssali Joseph, 48, dead.
According to Wamala Regional Police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi, the couple was attacked on the night of July 2, 2026, by an unknown number of suspected robbers at their residence in Lukira Village, Myanzi Sub-county, Kassanda District.
The couple lived in a house belonging to their employer, identified only as Lukwago, where they worked as caretakers of his coffee gardens and livestock.
Kigozi said the incident came to light on the morning of July 3, when neighbours noticed Mr. Lukwago’s cattle wandering unattended in their gardens—an unusual occurrence. Concerned residents informed the LC I Chairperson of Lukira Village, Sulaiman Kakinda, who mobilized residents to check on the couple.
“When they arrived at the residence, they found the house had been broken into. There were clear signs of a struggle and blood stains inside the house,” Kigozi said.
Residents followed a trail of blood from the house to a nearby coffee plantation, where they discovered Ssali’s body lying in a pool of blood.
Police believe the attackers used both sharp and blunt objects, including a panga and a hammer, to kill the victim.
“The assailants are believed to have used sharp and blunt objects, suspected to be a hammer and a panga, to murder the victim. A report was made to police, and our homicide team from Kassanda visited and documented the scene,” Kigozi said.
Preliminary investigations suggest the attack was motivated by robbery. The suspects allegedly stole an unspecified amount of money and seven sacks of coffee before abducting Mariza and fleeing the scene.
“Our police canine unit was deployed but could not successfully track the suspects because of the delay in reporting the incident. Preliminary findings indicate that the robbers used motorcycles to access and flee the scene,” Kigozi added.
Mariza remained missing despite an intensive search mounted by police and residents .
However, on July 8 at about 7:30 a.m., residents searching the area discovered her body in neighboring Kyaseta Village, several kilometres from the primary crime scene. Police said the body had been partially buried in a garden and was already in an advanced state of decomposition.
The discovery has deepened grief and fear among residents, who have called for swift action to bring those responsible to justice.
“Everything possible is being done by our detectives to apprehend the suspects behind this horrific act, which has caused fear and grief among the people of Lukira Village and the entire Kassanda District,” Kigozi said.
Police say investigations into the double murder, aggravated robbery and kidnap are ongoing, with detectives pursuing several leads.
