Ugandan Security Forces Capture 'Evil Mujurizi Moses' Accused of Eating 38 People Over 15 Years

Uganda's military chief took personal charge of a high-profile criminal disclosure on Monday, declaring that state security personnel had apprehended an alleged serial predator accused of butchering and consuming 38 victims.

Writing on social media platform X on 26 October 2026, Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced the arrest of Moses Mujurizi, describing the restrained captive as the most depraved serial killer and cannibal in the nation's history.

Kainerugaba claimed that the suspect conducted a 15-year campaign of violence spanning the districts of Masaka, Ibanda, and Kazo between 2010 and 2025, whilst issuing a pledge that the state would conduct a public trial followed by immediate execution.

However, the general's unilateral declaration has encountered immediate pushback from legal scholars, who stress that Uganda's national constitution strictly guarantees the presumption of innocence and prohibits capital punishment without exhaustive appellate review.

The sweeping announcement has also generated procedural confusion across the domestic criminal justice system, surfacing barely 10 days after municipal magistrates in Masaka remanded a similarly named defendant facing separate ritual murder and human trafficking charges involving a female victim.

Moses Mujurizi Named in Army Chief's Allegations

'I am glad to inform our fellow citizens that the security forces have arrested the evil Mujurizi Moses,' Kainerugaba wrote on X. He also called the man 'The worst serial killer and cannibal in Uganda's history.'

The general claimed, 'He killed and ate 38 people between 2010-2025 in Masaka, Ibanda and Kazo.' He published a photograph purportedly showing the suspect in handcuffs. However, his statement did not specify when or where the arrest took place, or provide forensic findings supporting the cannibalism allegation.

Reports of violent attacks in the Greater Masaka region predate this announcement by more than a decade. Historical coverage cited by the Daily Monitor described assailants allegedly entering houses through walls and attacking occupants with machetes. Earlier reports referred to up to 35 deaths in similar attacks around 2013.

The previous reports also mentioned Pentecostal pastor Steven Mugambe, who reportedly alerted police after receiving threats. The accounts described deadly attacks involving people associated with his church. They did not establish that the pastor himself was killed.

Moses Mujurizi Identity Question Complicates Earlier Court Case

A particularly important distinction concerns the names used by investigators and the military chief. Kainerugaba identified Moses Mujurizi. Uganda Radio Network, however, named Fred Mujulizi, also known as Kulaish Kamugisha, in a separate criminal case reported on 16 October.

The Ugandan broadcaster reported that Fred Mujulizi appeared before Masaka Grade One Magistrate Primer Kyomugisha alongside Huzairuh Kyambadde. The two faced murder and human trafficking charges concerning the killing of a woman on 28 September 2026. Prosecutors alleged the woman was lured by promises of an intimate relationship before being killed.

Kyambadde was accused of procuring the killing for witchcraft purposes. Both defendants were remanded to Masaka Central Prison until 5 November while investigations continued. Neither the charges nor the court report conclusively identifies Fred Mujulizi as the man named in Kainerugaba's announcement.

Greater Masaka police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye said officers were reviewing older murder files and receiving complaints from relatives of people who had died. Those inquiries concerned Fred Mujulizi. Reports of his previous detentions and alleged escapes must likewise not be presented as Moses Mujurizi's history without confirmation.

The separate proceedings have already provoked anger locally. Uganda Radio Network reported on 19 October that residents damaged property belonging to Fred Mujulizi. Police said they were searching for those responsible.

Moses Mujurizi Execution Pledge Faces Legal Constraints

Kainerugaba's post went beyond announcing an arrest. 'We will try him in public and definitely execute him,' he wrote. But Uganda's constitution guarantees the presumption of innocence and a hearing before an independent court.

Article 22 of Uganda's constitution permits execution only after a lawful conviction and sentence confirmed by the highest appellate court. Uganda's Supreme Court has also ruled against mandatory death sentences. A military commander's declaration cannot determine a court's verdict or sentence.

Meanwhile, Kasirye has said further charges could follow in the separate Masaka investigation if officers find sufficient evidence connecting Fred Mujulizi to older killings.