Police officers have recovered the bodies of Ronald Aharuhundira and his lover Paulina Nalubega in Mugoye Sub County, Kalangala district. The lovers were residents of Bungo village.
Police is yet to release a statement about the deaths that residents say happened on Friday.
However, Gerald Bwegaba, the area chairperson, suspects 28-year- old Aharuhundira strangled Nalubega because there were bruises on her neck and lips and also blood on her nose. Bwegaba thinks that Aharuhundira thereafter hanged himself probably due to guilt because he was wearing one of Nalule’s t-shirts and a wristband with the words “I can’t live without you”.
He is however not sure whether or not the lovers had a misunderstanding because they were peaceful residents.
Bwegaba says a knife was found near Nalubega’s body which was lying lifeless on the bedroom floor.
“They could have fought because her hands and other body parts had cuts and we also saw cuts on Aharuhundira’s body which we found hanging inside the shop in front of their home.”
He learned of the incident from a resident who found the shop wide open and Aharuhundira’s body hanging inside.
Bwegaba and other local leaders speculate that the Nalubega could have called for help in vain because residents play loud music on radio at night.
Bwegaba says he will now embark on demanding that newcomers present letters from the chairpersons of villages where they were residing before because some criminals are finding refuge in Kalangala.
Aharuhundira, hailing from Kiruhura district, was working at the palm oil farm of one of the residents and had been staying in Nalubega’s house in Bungo village.
One of the residents suspects that Aharuhundira had an inferiority complex because he was staying in Nalubega’s house and also because Nalubega owned the shop. Nalubega built the house on her mother’s land.
The lovers are survived by a five-year-old daughter.
Paul Kasana, NGO Mifumi’s gender-based violence representative, called on couples to discuss issues or seek counseling services instead of resorting to using violence. Mifumi is an international NGO that advances the protection of women and children.
Police officers wrapped the two bodies in bags and sealed off the shop and house on Saturday. Several residents gathered on the compound, shocked at what happened last night.
According to the 2021 Annual Police Crime Report, theft and domestic violence were the top two crimes committed last year.
It indicates that 17,533 cases of domestic violence were recorded in 2021, a reduction by 0.74 percent of cases recorded in 2020.
The main cause of domestic violence was attributed to disputes over family property, drug and alcohol abuse, infidelity and failure to provide for families.
The 2021 report also indicates that the majority of the victims, that is 12,877, were female, followed by males (3,103) and then children (1,553).
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