Ugandan authorities have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a series of cannibal killings stretching back to 2009, and have vowed to execute him. The suspect, Moses Mujurizi, is accused of murdering at least 38 people over 15 years, with reports indicating he ate body parts of the majority of his victims.
Uganda's top police officer labelled Mujurizi "evil" and vowed to do everything in his power to ensure his execution. Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba said: "I am glad to inform our fellow citizens that the security forces have arrested the evil Mujurizi Moses. The worst serial killer and cannibal in Uganda's history. We will try him in public and definitely execute him."
Arrest follows years of terror
The arrest comes after more than a decade of violence, as police struggled to identify the person behind a string of killings that began in 2009. As early as 2013, police warned that a spate of murders could be linked to the same unknown man, who they believed was moving from place to place on a motorcycle.
In many of the incidents, multiple people were killed in the same attacks, with reports indicating the assailant would dig or drill through walls to gain entry to victims' homes. One case from 2013 involved the murder of nine members of the same family in the region of Kyotera, with five more victims from two families killed in a similar fashion in 2023.
Previous arrests and escape
Moses Mujurizi was reportedly arrested on several occasions over the past decade but managed to escape captivity. According to the Ugandan Radio Network, he has been arrested again on charges of murder and human trafficking after a woman was found dead in Greater Masaka on September 28.
Investigators are now working to link Mujurizi to the spate of horrific killings and bring an end to 17 years of pain and confusion for victims' families.
