Key suspect in murder of Mukono UCU dean of students arrested

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Police on Saturday, February 14, 2026, confirmed the arrest of a key suspect linked to the murder of Uganda Christian University (UCU) dean of students, Pamela Tumwebaze, who was attacked by a lone assailant and later died on Tuesday night.

Maj. Tom Magombo, the Director, Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), confirmed the arrest on X-platform/. “One of the key suspects in the murder of the late Pamela has been arrested by our joint team, comprised of the Police and Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT). Our Public Relations Officer Kituuma Rusoke will provide further updates in due course,” Magambo said.

On Tuesday, police explained how Tumwebaze of UCU main campus, Mukono, met her death.

According to a situation report shared by Mukono Police under case reference number Mukono CRB: 195/2026, Tumwebaze, who lived in Sseta, had been staying with her two sons aged between 10 and 13 years, plus a house boy, Sharif Lwantale, aged 20 years.

Police reported that her assailant (yet to be identified) gained entry into her house and strangled her.

“The deceased came back home at around 10:00 pm with her two children, and the house help opened for her the gate and the house and locked it. The assailant must have gained entry at the time when the housemaid had gone to open for the deceased,” Police stated.

Police noted that it was while inside the house that the assailant attacked the Tumwebaze, strangling her. “The assailant, after the act, asked the house help to give him the keys to open the main door, and he was given the keys, opened and went away with a laptop bag carrying unestablished items and the phone for the deceased,” the statement indicated.

Police noted that when the houseboy later dashed to her room where she found her strangled, he made an alarm which attracted rescuers who rushed her to Mukono Namirembe Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The statement noted that the Uganda Police Force received information about Tumwebaze's murder at 5:00 am on Tuesday, February 11.

The statement indicated that a team of police officers led by Majid Alituha, the officer in charge of Mukono police station, including the Scene of Crime Officers, visited the scene as they embarked on the investigations. 

By press time, the post-mortem report from Mulago National Referral Hospital had not been made public. 

Tumwebaze will be buried on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Rubaya Kegoshora in Kashari County in Mbarara.