The acting Masindi district health officer, Dr. Jino Abiriga, was found dead on Sunday morning in a shocking incident that has left the community of Masindi in grief. The Albertine region police spokesperson, Julius Allan Hakiza, confirmed that four suspects, all family members, are currently held in connection with the heinous crime. Among them is the deceased’s wife, although their identities remain undisclosed to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations.
The discovery of Dr. Abiriga’s body revealed a stab wound in the back and a severed neck. Blood stains were found within the family’s residence, although the body itself had been dumped in a neighboring compound. The unsettling circumstances surrounding the murder have cast a pall of somberness over Masindi, as residents mourn the loss of the respected medical professional.
Masindi LC5 Chairman, Cosmas Byaruhanga, expressed his condolences, describing the late Dr. Abiriga as a symbol of Masindi General Hospital. The district speaker, Moses Kiirya, recounted being with the deceased at a wedding party on the eve of the tragic incident. Local leaders, including Bongomin Isac, the LC3 chairman of central division, and Robert Akugizibwe, the councilor representing Western ward in Masindi Municipality, joined fellow residents in eulogizing the departed health officer.
As the community grapples with the shocking loss, Dr. Abiriga’s body has been transported to Mulago National Referral Hospital for an autopsy and further investigations. The police remain committed to unraveling the details surrounding the murder, with the hope that justice will be served in due course.
