KAMPALA — Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has announced the arrest of Moses Mujurizi, a man accused of killing 38 people in parts of central and western Uganda over a period of 15 years.
In a post on X on Monday evening, Gen Muhoozi said security forces had apprehended the suspect, whom he described as one of the country’s most notorious alleged serial killers.
“I am glad to inform our fellow citizens that the security forces have arrested the evil Mujurizi Moses,” Gen Muhoozi wrote, alleging that the suspect killed and ate 38 people between 2010 and 2025 in Masaka, Ibanda and Kazo districts.
He added that the suspect would be tried publicly and made a statement suggesting he would face the death penalty. However, any punishment would have to follow the applicable law and judicial process.
The announcement has renewed attention on a series of brutal killings reported in the Greater Masaka region over the past decade.
The suspect has previously appeared in reports under different names, including Fred Mujulizi and Kulaish Kamugisha. Investigators have linked him to several killings, although a complete, independently verified list of victims supporting the figure of 38 has not been publicly established.
Among the cases associated with the suspect is the 2013 killing of nine members of a family linked to Pentecostal pastor Steven Mugambe in Kannabulemu village, Kyebe Sub-county.
Other reported attacks occurred in Kyanamukaaka and Kijonjo, where families were reportedly attacked in their homes.
Investigators have previously described a pattern in which attackers allegedly broke into houses by forcing their way through walls before assaulting occupants with machetes.
The suspect’s reported history with law enforcement stretches back several years, with previous accounts indicating that he had been arrested on multiple occasions but later escaped custody or was released.
On October 16, 2026, he reportedly appeared before Masaka Grade One Magistrate Primer Kyomugisha alongside another suspect to face charges of murder and human trafficking linked to the killing of a woman on September 28.
The two suspects were remanded to Masaka Central Prison until November 5 as proceedings continued.
Greater Masaka Police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye has previously said investigators were reviewing unresolved murder cases and receiving complaints from families who suspect the accused may have been involved in the deaths of their relatives.
Police have also reportedly examined items recovered from a residence linked to the suspect as part of investigations into allegations that human body parts were consumed.
Despite the announcement, questions remain about the full extent of the alleged killings, the evidence linking the suspect to individual cases and the claims of cannibalism.
Authorities have yet to publicly provide a comprehensive account of all the alleged victims or disclose forensic findings establishing the cannibalism allegations.
The suspect’s guilt in the reported cases will ultimately be determined through the judicial process.
