Police probe killing of Rwandan truck driver in Rukiga
The deceased, Bernard Katabazi, 48, was transporting 35 tonnes of rice from Rwanda to the Mpondwe border in Kasese when he was ambushed at Bufureka trading centre, Kitaburaza village in Rukiga district.
Regional police spokesperson Elly Maate said assailants broke into Katabazi’s Actros Benz truck (registration RAE 415A/RL2943) on September 19, 2025. (Fie photo)
By Simon Masaba
Journalists @New Vision
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Police in the Kigezi region are investigating the killing of a Rwandan truck driver whose body was found dumped along a Kabale road after armed men looted his vehicle.
The deceased, Bernard Katabazi, 48, was transporting 35 tonnes of rice from Rwanda to the Mpondwe border in Kasese when he was ambushed at Bufureka trading centre, Kitaburaza village in Rukiga district.
Regional police spokesperson Elly Maate said assailants broke into Katabazi’s Actros Benz truck (registration RAE 415A/RL2943) on September 19, 2025, stealing about 50 sacks of rice before dragging him out, hacking him several times and smashing his head.
His body was later dumped on a road in Kyobugombe, Kaharo subcounty, Kabale district, where fellow drivers identified him.
Police teams examined the scene, retrieved the body and took it to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for autopsy. Statements have been recorded from witnesses, while a manhunt for the attackers is ongoing.
The killing has sparked fear among long-distance truck drivers who frequently ply the Rwanda–DRC route, with drivers urging police to increase patrols along vulnerable highways.