Police in Busoga East are searching for a 68-year-old man accused of killing his elder brother after a land dispute reportedly escalated following the delivery of a police summons.
The suspect, George Nalugoda, is alleged to have assaulted his 78-year-old brother, Patrick Kakaire, at Mawundo Village in Namutumba Sub-county shortly after receiving a notice requiring him to report to police.
According to Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha, Kakaire had filed a complaint accusing his younger brother of trespassing on his land and destroying property. Police later issued a summons, which was delivered to Nalugoda through the vice chairperson of Mawundo Village Local Council.
Mr Kasadha said the suspect allegedly reacted violently after receiving the summons.
“It is alleged that the suspect we are hunting was served with police summons on August 1 after the deceased reported him for trespassing on his land. However, upon receiving the summons, he went to the complainant’s home and allegedly assaulted him, resulting in his death,” Mr Kasadha said.
Police said Nalugoda allegedly punched Kakaire, causing him to fall to the ground. Family members rushed the elderly man into his house, but he died from his injuries shortly afterwards.
The suspect, who had been expected to report to Namutumba Police Station on 3 August to answer the allegations against him, fled the area after the incident and remains at large.
Investigations into the killing are ongoing as police continue efforts to locate and arrest him.
The incident highlights the persistent problem of land-related conflicts in the Busoga sub-region, where disputes among relatives have increasingly turned violent. Local authorities attribute the trend to rising population pressure, shrinking family landholdings and unresolved customary inheritance claims.
Community leaders have repeatedly expressed concern that disagreements over boundaries and ownership, once handled through civil processes or local council mediation, are increasingly ending in serious assaults and deaths, particularly when legal action is initiated without adequate security measures.
