Entebbe murders: Police arrests herbalist 

Bakeleke (centre) and residents cut the bush during the manhunt

ENTEBBE|CRIME

On Thursday morning, while 43-year-old Lydia Wakooli, a resident of Nkumba Bukolwa in Katabi town was sorting out polythene bags (buveera) at her home, she noticed a strange and suspicious man emerge out of the bush near her residence and move towards her direction. 

Wakooli says she rushed into her house and the man went back the way he had come. 

"The man was stealthy heading towards my direction. I immediately rushed into my house before informing the area defense co-ordinator and other women I work with," Wakooli narrated.

Police rushed to the scene and together with residents, started hunting for the man before landing on a 22-year-old Joseph Nsubuga, who was digging a ditch, metres away from where the body of Harriet Nantongo was found recently.

When Police interrogated him, he said, he was looking for herbs for his wife, a claim which the residents dismissed, saying he was not known to have a wife.

Upon further interrogation, Nsubuga changed his statement, claiming that he was looking for herbs for his brother.

He was then arrested and taken to Entebbe Police Station.

However, Wakooli said Nsubuga did not match the description of the man she had seen earlier.

Francis Walugembe, the father to Joseph Nsubuga, also said his son (Nsubuga) had just gotten out of jail three days ago and, therefore, could not have had a hand in the killings of women. Walugembe said his son was a herbalist, who is always in the bushes looking for herbs. 

Siraj Bakaleke, the Kampala south metropolitan Police commander, who joined the residents in the manhunt, said Nsubuga would be interrogated further and that Police would continue investigations into Wakooli's ordeal.