Police in Luuka District, Eastern Uganda, have arrested a 22-year-old man accused of killing his father following a dispute over unripe coffee.
Ibra Giraido, alias Mudoola, a resident of Buzaaya Village, Bulongo Sub-county, allegedly attacked his 52-year-old father, Jaliru Sango, with a hoe after being confronted for harvesting immature coffee beans from the family garden.
According to preliminary police investigations, a fight ensued after Sango found his son harvesting immature coffee from his garden, located metres away from their home.
The suspect allegedly became aggressive and chased his father for about 250 meters, past their residence.
Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Mr Samson Lubega, said in the process of the suspect chasing the father and along the way he picked a hoe from a neighbour and hacked him from behind. He died instantly.
‘Along the way, the suspect picked up a hoe from a neighbour’s home, belonging to Ms Edith Naiwumbwe, and struck his father from behind, inflicting a deep cut on the head that killed him instantly,’ Mr Lubega said
Mr Lubega explained that the suspect became extremely violent, threatening and attempting to attack anyone who tried to stop him after killing his father.
He fled the scene immediately, prompting a police manhunt on intelligence from residents. Police tracked him down and arrested him later that evening at a drinking joint in Kiyunga Town Council.
He is currently in police custody as investigations continue, and he will be charged with murder once the inquiries are complete, according to authorities.
Mr Lubega condemned the gruesome incident as a deeply unfortunate case of domestic violence, emphasising that such acts destroy families and community harmony.
He urged members of the public to seek peaceful ways of resolving misunderstandings within families through open dialogue, involving elders, community leaders, or local authorities, instead of resorting to violence that often results in irreversible tragedy.