Mother, daughter arrested as missing man’s body is found buried
Three weeks after Saverio Bakanyita disappeared from his home, his body has been discovered buried in a potato garden, triggering the arrest of his wife and daughter as police investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Residents carry the body of Saverio Bakanyita after it was exhumed in Kashanjure, Kigarama Sub-county, Sheema District. (Credit: Bruno Mugizi)
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The police in Sheema district have arrested a mother and her daughter to assist investigations into the death of a man whose body was found buried in a potato garden, three weeks after he disappeared from his home.
The deceased has been identified as Saverio Bakanyita, a resident of Nyashabeya village, Masyoro parish, Kyengyenyi subcounty.
The suspects have been identified as Adrine Kesubi, the deceased’s wife, and her daughter, who has only been identified as Sanyu.
Sheema OC-CID Afisa Ninkunda confirmed the arrests and said the two were being held to help police establish the circumstances surrounding Bakanyita’s death.
Ninkunda said investigations were ongoing and urged members of the public to seek help from authorities whenever disagreements arise instead of resorting to violence.
“Disagreements may erupt in families, but people should always seek help from authorities and other relevant institutions to resolve their differences peacefully instead of taking the law into their own hands,” Ninkunda said.
Body discovered three weeks after disappearance
According to residents, Bakanyita disappeared from his home about three weeks ago, prompting his family and residents to search for him.
His body was recovered on August 10, 2026, in Kashanjure, Kigarama subcounty, Sheema district, about six kilometres from his home in Nyashabeya. The body was tied with ropes and wrapped in a blanket.
“The dogs started trying to dig and retrieve something from the ground. When residents checked the place, they became suspicious and discovered that a body had been buried there. The deceased was later identified as Bakanyita,” Mbarahira said.
The body was subsequently exhumed and taken to Kabwohe Health Centre IV for a postmortem examination to establish the possible cause of death.
The discovery raised concerns among residents, who alerted the authorities, leading to police intervention and the arrest of the two suspects.
Son alleges earlier assault
Bakanyita’s son, Emmanuel Tukaheebwa, said his father had allegedly been assaulted before his disappearance.
Tukaheebwa said residents rescued his father after the alleged assault and took him to Muzira Health Centre III for treatment.
“After the incident, I was alerted by the health workers at Muzira Health Centre III, who told me that my dad had no one to take care of him.
"Following his admission to the facility, I came and stayed with him for three days until he was discharged. I then took him back home and returned to where I work, but later I was told that my dad had gone missing,” Tukaheebwa said.
He said the family became increasingly concerned after failing to establish his father’s whereabouts.
Case linked to domestic violence
He alleged that the deceased had on several occasions been assaulted, prompting his sons to construct a separate house for him in an attempt to protect him from further attacks.
Tukamushaba said the family had experienced domestic conflicts before Bakanyita left home for some time and later returned.
He attributed the incident to domestic violence and urged families experiencing disagreements to seek intervention before conflicts escalate.
Police have not yet established the exact circumstances surrounding Bakanyita’s death, pending investigations and the postmortem findings.
Ninkunda said the two suspects were arrested to assist police with investigations and establish what happened to the deceased.
Similar Buhweju case
The Sheema incident comes about a year after a similar case in neighbouring Buhweju district, where police arrested a woman over the alleged murder of her husband, whose body was reportedly buried inside their bedroom.
In April 2025, police in Buhweju sought a court order to exhume the body of Patrick Bainomugisha, 53, who was allegedly killed and buried in the bedroom of his home in Kaniga I village, Rwengwe subcounty.
Police said the suspect, Bainomugisha’s 46-year-old wife, had allegedly told local leaders that she hit her husband with a club during a domestic quarrel, after which he died. She was arrested as investigations continued.
The two cases highlight concerns over domestic violence in the region, with police urging families experiencing conflicts to seek help from authorities and avoid violence.