On Christmas Day, the Kampala Metropolitan Police recorded three separate murder incidents stemming from bar fights, drowning, and disputes over affairs.
Christmas celebrations are typically filled with excitement, with some people attending church services to renew their spiritual well-being. Others spend the day in public spaces, such as beaches, hotel gardens, swimming pools, or bars, celebrating with drinks and merriment.
The excitement and celebrations that come with Christmas often lead to unfortunate incidents in public venues, sometimes resulting in loss of life. This year’s Christmas celebrations were no exception, with the Kampala Metropolitan Police reporting three serious incidents.
Rachel Kawala, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson said while the Christmas celebration was generally peaceful, police recorded three unfortunate deaths.
The first incident occurred at around 10:00 pm in Pepsi zone, Kampala Central, where a man was hacked to death by a friend he was drinking with at a bar.
The Police preliminary findings have indicated that, the altercation began with a quarrel that escalated into a fight.
During the fight, Rogers Makoba, a resident of Pepsi-Cola zone in Kampala, was hacked to death by his long-time friend, Namuwongo Isabirye Suwedi, also a resident of the same area.
“Namuwongo, after spending much time drinking alcohol, picked a knife and hacked his colleague in the stomach during the fight.
The victim died on the way to Naguru hospital last night.
The suspect has been arrested and is currently being held by Jinja Road Police station on murder charges.” Kawala said.
Another murder incident occurred in Kasangati, where a bar attendant was killed in Lusanja, Kasangati town council, during the evening hours. Police investigations reveal that the deceased, Mugisha, was followed by a suspect, Kiiza, who had made several attempts to accompany her home, which she declined.
Kiiza reportedly followed Mugisha after she completed her shift and headed home. They fought along the way, and she was killed in the process.
The police said the hunt for Kiiza is ongoing, and two of his friends have been arrested.
Tragically, a 12-year-old child, Aloysius Kato, drowned at Grace Restaurant’s swimming pool while celebrating Christmas with his parents.
During the swimming, he was alongside his twin brother, and he failed and drowned in the process, although he was rescued he died ad he was being rushed to the hospital.His body has was taken to the city mortuary Mulago for the post mortem report.
“We’ve opened a case of negligence against the restaurant and investigations are ongoing. We urge parents to be vigilant during this festive season when taking kids for swimming lessons. Hotel owners should also ensure pool attendants are on high alert, especially with kids around, to reduce swimming death incidents,” Kawala stated.
Aloysius Kato’s death adds to a disturbing trend of children who have drowned in swimming pools in 2025.
In the past five months, at least two students died in school swimming pools, and national data shows an average of eight to nine drowning deaths daily, with children under 10 years accounting for roughly 20 per cent of fatalities.
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