Disturbing new details have emerged about the final moments inside the Seeta home of Uganda Christian University (UCU) Dean of Students Pamela Tumwebaze, revealing a chilling level of confidence by her attacker.
According to accounts given to investigators, the suspect switched on the lights after entering the house in the early hours of the morning, an unusual move for someone attempting to avoid detection.
He reportedly moved freely inside the residence and led the housemaid toward Tumwebaze’s bedroom.
Police say the assailant strangled Tumwebaze after she retired for the night. At around 2am, the house helper reportedly encountered the intruder dressed in jeans inside the house.
In one of the most puzzling developments, the suspect allegedly put on one of the deceased’s dresses, layered it with his jacket, covered his head with a hood, and then demanded the gate keys from the maid before calmly exiting the compound.
He is said to have left carrying a laptop bag and the deceased’s phone.
Security observers say the act of switching on lights and wearing the victim’s clothing may indicate an attempt to disguise himself while leaving the premises, particularly in a neighbourhood where homes are closely spaced and movement can easily be noticed.
Tumwebaze’s residence is located in Gwafu Village, Goma Division, Seeta a quiet, organised area where homes are secured with high wall fences topped with protective wiring.
The property sits on a corner plot connected to Ridar Hotel Road, flanked by two access roads and surrounded by well-built, gated homes.
By mid-morning, the once-quiet neighbourhood had turned into a restricted zone, with armed officers deployed at the gate and detectives combing the compound for forensic evidence.
Police vehicles were stationed both at the entrance and along the nearby road as investigators documented the scene.
The manner in which the suspect moved within the home has raised further questions about whether he had prior knowledge of the household layout or routines.
Tumwebaze had lived in the area for about four years. She was residing in Mukono with her two children and a maid at a home belonging to her sister, Becky Tumwebaze Mugumya, who currently lives in Ireland with her husband and children.
It has also been established that she was separated from her husband, Alexander (Alex) Matsiko, a city lawyer and businessman based in Kungu, Wakiso District.
Police have deployed task teams and say investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend the suspect.
As detectives piece together the sequence of events, the maid’s testimony remains central to reconstructing how the attacker entered, carried out the crime, and escaped from what many believed was a secure home.
