By Wyclif Micah Namunyu
MANAFWA
Aaron Khaukha, aged 22, a resident of Fumbula village, Khatsonga Parish, Bukhadala Sub County in Manafwa district was discovered killed and dumped in a septic tank around their home on Thursday 11th January, 2024 at around 11:00am.
The discovery followed his disappearance on Tuesday morning after coming back from Kampala on Monday evening. The relatives and locals around commenced tracing for his whereabouts only to discover on Thursday morning decomposing in a septic a tank at his father’s home.
The deceased’s father, Namawa Charles who works as an SFC Soldier in Mbarara City says that he was shocked after receiving bad news concerning the disappearance and later the death of his son yet he confirmed from him on Monday evening that he had arrived safely at home.
He explained that he sent his son (the deceased) back home from Kampala on Monday morning after spending a short holiday with him.
Namawa elaborates that he even bought a spray pump and other items for him to look after the Agricultural project at home.
The father adds that on Thursday, when he was travelling from Mbarara to his home to accompany the relatives and residents to search for his son, while still on his way, he received a call from his relatives that his boy has been discovered dead by residents in a septic tank at his home.
This prompted the locals to start asking themselves about who had killed such an innocent man. He said they immediately came up with the idea of bringing a sniffer dog to trace for the murderer which he advised them to go on with.
According to Namawa, when the police dog arrived, it marched and went straight to the home of the suspected murderer, Esiepet Godfrey who was later lynched and burnt to ashes by the angry residents.
“When I was in a taxi trying to come back home to join the residents to search for my son, I had reached Masaka that’s when I received a call from my relatives that they have discovered my son killed and dumped in my own home in a septic tank. Afterwards they called me to send the money to go for a sniffer dog from police, I agreed but I told them I was unable to send the money that time because I was in a taxi travelling. I just advised them to solicit the money around them that when I reach I pay them back, which they did and brought a sniffer dog from police which helped them trace where the murderer originated. It took them up to the home of my cousin, Esiepeti Godfrey who allegedly resisted to be arrested and angry residents overpowered police and lynched the suspect,” Namawa said.
Tseboyi Sarah, the mother of the deceased says she was heavily shocked when the neghbours of the deceased called her on Tuesday asking whether her son had either reached Busiu in Mbale district where she currently resides.
Tseboyi explains that she really wondered because she had just talked to Aaron (the deceased son), the previous day (Monday evening) after his arrival where she even confirmed from the neighbors that he served the family members and neighbors sugar he had brought for them from Kampala.
Nabalayo Harriet, a neighbor of the deceased says that when she was passingby with her sister in law near the home of deceased’s father, she felt a bad smell originating from a septic tank prompting them to go closer and also observed that the place was overwhelmed with flies.
She narrates that it forced them to open the septic tank to know what was inside but was only shocked when they saw a lifeless body lying inside which made her to make an alarm that attracted residents from both nearby and far places who were later joined by police to investigate the matter.
“I was crossing near that very septic tank I felt a very bad smell accompanied with flies around it, I was with my sister in law and some children, and we went near and saw many flies which we thought rats or frogs had dropped inside. When we opened a septic tank we saw a dead body lying inside, I personally made an alarm and many people came and also witnessed that it was indeed true. Police came later and checked the deceased’s house and even found there a lot of blood in his house,” Harriet elaborated.
Wabuyele Paul Wakuma, the Chairman LCIII of Bukhadala Sub County confirmed the incident. He says that after the residents discovered the lifeless body of Aaron Khaukha in the septic tank, they were all angry and supported the idea of bringing a sniffer dog from Tororo Central police station which led them up to the home of a 42 year Esiepet Godfrey, a resident of Khatsonga ‘’A’’ Village, Khatsonga Parish in Bukhadala Sub county.
He explains that after a sniffer dog had led them up to Esiepete’s home, the angry residents overpowered police and other authorities until they lynched the suspect accusing him of brutally killing Aaron Khaukha.
According to Wabuyele, after lynching the suspect, the angry residents burnt the body of Esiepet into ashes and by the following morning (Friday) when police and leaders went back on ground to investigate, they only found ashes with only the penis, knee patella part and some small part of the skull left in the ashes.
He added that Esiepet was repetitively suspected by locals over five separate murder incidents in the community since 2016 when he was suspected to have butchered his own child.
He says the residents had accused the suspect of having joined illuminate powers which allegedly ask him for human blood in order for him to become rich.
According to Kagenyi Lukka, the deputy resident district commissioner of Manafwa district, the investigations are ongoing and urged people not take laws into their hands.
Kagenyi says that they are working hand in hand with police to ensure sensitization of the community about the law.
Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Region Police Spokesperson has confirmed the incident and warned people against taking the laws into their hands. He adds that the suspect was supposed to be arrested and arraigned before court but not lynching him which is also a criminal case.
