Entebbe couple murder: Bereaved family settle for burial in Switzerland

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The funeral of David Mutaaga and his wife, Deborah, both murdered on July 6 at their home in Entebbe, will be held in Switzerland.

Details of the dates, type of funeral or dispatch of the bodies to Europe have not been revealed.

During a memorial service on Thursday at St Paul's Cathedral, Namirembe, Isabel Najitta Mutaaga and Mark Ernest Kabenge Mutaaga revealed their decision to hold their parents' funeral in Switzerland.  

Both adults, the siblings currently residing in Switzerland, who attended their parents’ memorial service via a zoom link, expressed hope that their deceased parents will "find peace when they are buried here ."

David Baagala Mutaaga, 69, and Deborah Florence Mutaaga, 62, were murdered at their home in Entebbe, Wakiso district, after retiring from Switzerland, where they lived and worked for over 30 years.

The double homicide occurred in the early hours of Monday, July 6, at the couple’s residence in Lugonjo-Nakiwogo Cell, Entebbe Municipality. According to police, unknown assailants broke into the home and killed the couple in what is believed to have been an aggravated robbery.

The murder, which remains unresolved, dominated headlines for several weeks.

Sources close revealed that the close family, especially the bereaved children, were frustrated with what was termed as slow investigations.

“We wish to extend gratitude to our family and friends for respecting our decision. The waiting has been long. We all thought the ongoing investigations would yield positive results, but all has been in vain!” Kabenge said in his address during the service.

Relatedly, Najitta stated, “daddy and mummy worked and lived in Switzerland as citizens.  They were a happy couple. My brother and I were also born here.

We think our parents will find peace when they are buried here.”

Meanwhile, close sources revealed that Najjita and Kabenge have granted powers of attorney to a city law firm to take charge of their parents’ estate in Uganda.

“After the crime scene reconstruction, the children instructed the Police to hand over the keys of the deceased's home to the said law firm, thus barring any relative from accessing it,” said the source.

During the service, the bereaved sisters, Susan Mutaaga and Sarah Mutaaga, on behalf of the family, who pledged to honour the bereaved children’s decision, expressed gratitude to the persons who extended support during the four months of grief.

Recently, Uganda Police Spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma revealed that while some individuals have been picked by security, none of them have been conclusively linked to the crime.” 

“The actual suspects are still at large, and the search is ongoing,” he said on September 15, during a press conference.

Kituuma also announced that the sh60m reward for credible information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the murder.

This was a raise from the initial sh50m announced by the Director of Criminal Investigations (CID).

The double homicide occurred in the early hours of Monday, July 6, at the couple’s residence in Lugonjo-Nakiwogo Cell, Entebbe Municipality. According to police, unknown assailants broke into the home and killed the couple in what was believed to have been an aggravated robbery.

The victims had returned to their retirement home from Europe, where they had lived for several decades.

Their bodies were discovered by their shamba boy, Ronald Golooba, who notified police after suspecting a robbery had taken place. Responding officers found both victims dead inside the house.

Investigators at the scene of the crime observed signs of forced entry at the residence. CCTV footage retrieved from the compound showed the assailants scaling the perimeter fence to gain access. A sniffer dog deployed to the scene lost the scent trail at the main gate, indicating that the attackers likely exited through that route.

There was also evidence of a shattered bedroom window and tampered roofing, indicating a violent entry near the master bedroom.