The founder and executive director of Deaf Link Uganda, Barbara Nassozi Kiyaga, was shot dead during a gun attack at a lodge in Kisoro District on Thursday, November 5, in an incident that also left a police officer injured.
The shooting occurred at about 2am at Mucha Lodges along the Mutolere-Nyundo Road, near Lake Mulehe, where Kiyaga, 58, was staying as a guest.
Kigezi Region Police spokesperson Nelson Tumushime said unidentified assailants attacked the lodge, prompting security personnel at the premises to respond. An exchange of gunfire followed, leaving Kiyaga dead and a police officer wounded.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Tumushime identified the injured officer as Police Constable Charles Mukesi, who had been deployed to guard the facility.
Mukesi sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg and was taken to Kisoro Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Kiyaga, a Kampala resident, had checked into the lodge on Wednesday and booked a four-day stay. She died at the scene, and her body was taken to Kisoro Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Police said they had opened investigations into murder by shooting and attempted murder and launched an operation to identify and arrest the attackers.
The suspected robbery motive has not been established, and investigators have not disclosed whether the assailants targeted particular guests or the lodge itself.
Some people questioned as police investigate
Kisoro Deputy Resident District Commissioner Dan Ndikumwami told Daily Monitor that some people had been arrested to assist with investigations.
He said statements had also been recorded from some lodge employees as investigators sought to establish what happened during the attack.
Police had not publicly identified the attackers or announced arrests directly linked to the shooting by Thursday evening.
The incident has prompted renewed calls for stronger security around tourism facilities in Kisoro, a district that attracts visitors to Lake Mulehe, Lake Mutanda and the mountain gorilla tracking areas.
The chairman of the Kigezi Tourism Cluster, Canon Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, called on security agencies to improve protection around tourism establishments.
He said the attack should prompt authorities to strengthen security measures to prevent similar incidents.
Kisoro District chairman Richard Ndyana also said local security officials had agreed to intensify patrols and conduct impromptu checks. He said discussions with security agencies included reinforcing border security, given the district’s proximity to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Killing follows fatal shooting of Kisoro couple
Kiyaga’s death comes less than three weeks after businessman Africano Nteziyaremye and his wife, Peace Kyompeire, were shot dead outside their home in Kisoro Municipality.
The couple was killed at about 11pm on October 17 at the gate of their home in Zindiro Cell, Kamonyi Ward, as they returned from their wholesale business in Kisoro town.
Police said unidentified armed assailants attacked them at the entrance to their residence. Both died at the scene.
Investigators visited the scene with a canine unit to collect evidence, but police had not announced any arrests in connection with the double killing in their subsequent public updates.
The two incidents have raised concern among residents and tourism operators, although police have not established a connection between the shootings.
Investigators have also not disclosed a motive for the attack on Mucha Lodges.
Deaf Link Uganda, which Kiyaga founded, is a non-governmental organisation established to promote the welfare of deaf people in Uganda.
