Chaos reigned in Matovu village, Bukaboli sub-county in Mayuge District when police fired live bullets and teargas to disperse residents who were protesting the death of a head teacher whose hacked body was found in a maize plantation.
David Kaziba alias Budhugo, 40, a head teacher of Matovu Foundation Secondary School is suspected to have been killed on Monday morning by his step brothers over a land wrangle.
Police said the body was found lying in the maize plantation by students who were using a small path to walk to school.
Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Mr James Mubi said Kaziba’s body was found with deep cuts on the head and lower parts of the body.
Residents turned rowdy after police recovered blood stained gumboots from Ezekiel Kaziba’s home, one of the deceased’s step brothers.
Kaziba together with brothers Thomas Kaziba and Yokana Mukisa have been wrangling with the deceased over a one-acre piece of land.
Police fired live bullets and teargas after angry residents descended on the homes of the trio and destroyed their property. About 15 houses were set on fire and more than 20 goats slaughtered.
Mr Jaberi Maganda, the Local Council 1 chairman Matovu village, said when the case was brought to his office, they discovered that the disputed land belonged to the head teacher.
“In a village meeting attended by clan members, we discovered that the land belonged to Mr Budhugo and we asked the trio to stop threatening him and trespassing on the land but they were not satisfied with our ruling,” Mr Maganda told Daily Monitor.
The Bukaboli Sub-county Chairman Mr Amuza Isabirye said cases of murder resulting from land disputes were on the rise in the area and asked land committees and clan leaders to stop them.
He said two people were last month murdered in Kanyana and Musubi villages over land disputes.
Mr Mubi said the three brothers were arrested and evidence collected from the scene of crime is crucial as they investigate.
“Our sniffer dog took us to Kaziba’s home and inside his house, we recovered gumboots with blood stains,” he said.
He said once investigations are complete, the trio will be charged with murder.