MASAKA, Uganda — Ugandan police have appealed to the public to help identify a woman whose severed head and headless body were recovered at separate locations in Greater Masaka, as investigators pursue suspected serial killer and moneylender Kulaish Kamugisha.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said no relative or friend had come forward to identify the woman, despite investigations into her death and statements allegedly made by Kamugisha, also known as Fred Mujulizi.
The woman’s headless body was recovered at Butale Cell in Kyanamukaka, Masaka District, while her severed head was found at Kako Cell along the Kako-Mukungwe Road in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division on September 29, 2026.
Addressing journalists at the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, on Monday, November 9, Rusoke released a reconstructed photograph of the woman and urged anyone who recognises her to help investigators trace her family.
Police provided the following telephone contacts for members of the public with information: 0741 445 532, 0741 445 534 and 0741 445 535. Information can also be reported at the nearest police station.
The appeal comes as detectives investigate a series of suspected killings allegedly linked to Kamugisha, whose arrest has reopened several unresolved murder cases in the country.
Conflicting accounts over the victim’s identity
There is a discrepancy in police accounts concerning the woman’s identity.
When police announced the arrest of Kamugisha and a traditional healer on October 11, they identified the victim as Jackline Natukunda, a resident of Lukaya in Kalungu District. An earlier police statement and subsequent reports by New Vision also described her as Natukunda.
However, in the latest appeal, Rusoke said the woman had not been identified by any relative or friend and urged the public to help establish who she was.
The renewed appeal suggests investigators have yet to establish contact with her family or resolve questions surrounding her identification.
Police have not publicly explained the discrepancy between the earlier identification and the latest appeal.
What police say about the suspect
Kamugisha, 35, also known as Fred Mujulizi, is a moneylender from Kasala in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City.
He was arrested in October after detectives investigated the discovery of the severed head at Kako Cell and the corresponding headless body at Butale Cell.
According to earlier police accounts, Kamugisha led detectives and scenes-of-crime officers through a reconstruction of the alleged killing, showing them where he reportedly picked up the woman in Lukaya, murdered her and disposed of her remains at separate locations.
Police said he confessed to killing and mutilating the woman, including removing her heart.
Investigators also reportedly recovered items from his residence, including a jacket, gumboots and a saucepan, which were secured for forensic examination.
Police have linked him to other suspected killings in Nsangi, Wakiso District, and Sanga in Kiruhura District. Investigators are following up on the claims to establish whether they can be supported by independent evidence.
Kamugisha allegedly told detectives that a traditional healer had offered him Shs2 million to obtain human body parts, with Shs250,000 reportedly paid in advance.
The traditional healer was arrested alongside him in October over allegations that he commissioned the procurement of body parts. The case against the co-accused was subsequently withdrawn.
Police caution against treating confessions as proof
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, recently described Kamugisha as a serial killer suspected of murdering and cannibalising at least 38 people across Masaka, Kazo, Ibanda and Kiruhura districts over approximately 15 years.
However, police have cautioned against treating the alleged confessions or the figure of 38 victims as established facts.
Rusoke said investigators must verify the suspect’s statements through scientific investigations, forensic evidence and other independent inquiries.
The distinction is important because confessions alone do not establish that every alleged killing occurred or that the suspect was responsible for all the cases attributed to him.
Police are continuing to examine the locations and circumstances mentioned by Kamugisha as they seek to establish the full extent of the alleged crimes.
Kamugisha committed to High Court for trial
On November 6, the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court committed Kamugisha to the High Court for trial after prosecutors amended the charges against him.
Prosecutors withdrew three charges, leaving him facing one count of murder relating to the September 2026 killing.
His co-accused, Huzairu Kyambadde, was discharged after the prosecution withdrew all charges against him. Kyambadde had faced allegations connected to procuring human body parts for witchcraft purposes.
The court proceedings followed an earlier appearance in October, when the two suspects were charged over the killing and related allegations.
Kamugisha’s committal means the case has been transferred to the High Court for trial. It does not amount to a finding of guilt, and the prosecution must still prove the murder charge.
Police reopen murder investigations dating back to 2012
The investigation has also prompted police in Greater Masaka to revisit unresolved murder cases dating back more than a decade.
Among the cases under review is the 2013 killing of nine members of the family of Pentecostal pastor Steven Mugambe in Kannabulemu village, Kyebe Sub-county, in present-day Rakai District.
The killings involved members of the same family, and the case later went to trial, with several suspects facing prosecution.
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Investigators are also reviewing the killing of six people from two families in Kyanamukaka Sub-county in late 2012.
Uganda Radio Network has reported that police had previously linked Kamugisha, who was also known as Fred Mujulizi, to several of the older cases. He had reportedly been on the police wanted list since 2012.
The investigations are also examining other killings, including five people from two families in Kijonjo village, Buwunga Sub-county, in 2023.
Police have not established that Kamugisha was responsible for all the historical killings. Investigators must determine whether forensic evidence, witness accounts and other material can connect him to each case before additional charges can be pursued.
For now, police say identifying the woman whose remains were recovered in September remains a priority as detectives continue investigating the wider suspected murder network.
