Job Namanya | Tayari News
RUKIGA – A sombre mood engulfed Omunkole Village in Rwenyanji Parish, Kamwezi Sub-county, Rukiga District, as hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their last respects to Sarah Ayebare and her one-year-old son, Salson Niwagaba, who were among the four people shot dead in a tragic incident at Kiboga Government Prison earlier this week.
The joint burial, held at their ancestral home, was marked by grief, disbelief and quiet reflection as family members, friends, judicial officers, prison officials and residents struggled to come to terms with a loss many described as both sudden and senseless. Ayebare and her infant son lost their lives on Monday, February 23, 2026, after a prison warder identified as Moses Anguyo allegedly turned his gun on his supervisors at Kiboga Central Prison at around 10 am.
According to preliminary reports, Anguyo opened fire, killing Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Hope Catherine, the Deputy Officer in Charge, and Principal Warder Bright Akishuri, the third in command. Ayebare, who was at the prison premises, was also shot dead. Her baby boy, Salson, was struck by bullets and later succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll to four.
The suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting and remains at large, with police and sister security agencies continuing the hunt. Authorities say investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the attack. Back in Rukiga, however, the focus on Thursday was not on the fugitive gunman but on a young mother and her child whose lives were cut short in a burst of gunfire far from home.
The white coffins, one slightly smaller than the other, lay side by side under a tent erected in the family compound. Women wept openly, while men bowed their heads in silence. At intervals, hymns pierced the heavy air, offering brief comfort amid the pain. Representing the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Assistant Commissioner General of Prisons, Robert Munanura, addressed mourners with a tone of remorse and humility. He asked the bereaved family and the community to forgive the Uganda Prisons Service for the tragic loss.
“We come before you with heavy hearts. We ask for your pardon as an institution. The recklessness of one of our own, who misused a firearm entrusted to him, has caused irreparable damage,” Munanura said.
He noted that the Uganda Prisons Service has for decades been regarded as a professional and disciplined institution, known for calmness and order. The incident at Kiboga, he said, caught the leadership by surprise. “This is not who we are. We have always prided ourselves on professionalism and restraint. That such an act could come from within our ranks is deeply shocking and painful,” he added.
Munanura assured mourners that investigations were underway and that the institution would cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies to ensure justice is served.
At the heart of the grief stood SP Ivan Niwagaba, Ayebare’s husband and the Officer in Charge at Kiboga Central Prison, who was reportedly the primary target of the attacker. Fighting back tears, Niwagaba delivered an emotional eulogy that left many in the congregation in tears.
“I used to share everything with my wife. I grew up a quiet person, but Sarah taught me how to talk. At home, we were always in conversation. We would discuss ideas, development plans, and our dreams for the future,” he said, his voice trembling.
He described Ayebare as a pillar in their home, a supportive partner who contributed to building a stable and loving family.
“She helped me establish a desirable family. She was my friend, my advisor, my encourager. I do not know whom I will share my experiences with now,” he said.
Niwagaba expressed profound sorrow that although he was allegedly the target of the attacker, it was innocent lives that were lost.
“It pains me deeply that the bullets meant for me took away my wife and my child. They did not quarrel with anyone,” he said.
His words captured the anguish of a man grappling not only with bereavement but also with the haunting reality that the tragedy unfolded within his own workplace.
Judicial officers from the Kiboga High Court Circuit also joined the mourners. Her Worship Angela Mutatina Natukunda praised the late Ayebare for fostering a cordial working relationship between the prison authorities and the judiciary.
“She played a quiet but important role in enabling her husband to serve effectively. Through her support, the prison administration maintained a good working relationship with judicial officers, which is crucial for the justice system,” Natukunda said.
She described Ayebare as humble and respectful, noting that her presence in Kiboga had contributed positively to the community.
The funeral service was led by Rev. Awad Mukesiga, a priest from Kyogo Church of Uganda, who urged mourners to reflect on the value of peaceful coexistence.
“In a world filled with anger and tension, we must choose peace. Let us learn to resolve our differences without violence. A single act of rage can destroy families and communities,” Rev. Mukesiga preached.
He reminded the congregation that while justice would take its course, healing would require forgiveness, unity and prayer.
As the coffins were lowered into the red soil of Omunkole, wails erupted from close relatives. Some mourners collapsed and had to be supported by others. The image of a mother and her toddler being buried together was too heavy for many to bear.
Residents of Rwenyanji Parish spoke in hushed tones about the cruelty of fate that brought Ayebare back home not as a visitor but in a coffin.
“She was full of life. We were expecting to see her raise her child and grow old. Now both are gone,” one elderly woman said.
Security analysts have since described the Kiboga shooting as one of the rare internal violent incidents within the Uganda Prisons Service in recent years. While the motive remains unclear, authorities have emphasised that the act appears to have been isolated.
Meanwhile, the manhunt for Moses Anguyo continues. Police have urged members of the public to remain calm but vigilant and to report any information that could lead to his arrest.
For SP Niwagaba and the families of the other fallen officers, ASP Hope Catherine and Principal Warder Bright Akishuri, the path to healing is only just beginning. In Kiboga and Rukiga alike, the tragedy has left a scar on institutions and households, a painful reminder of how quickly life can be altered.
As the sun set over the rolling hills of Kamwezi, mourners slowly dispersed from the burial grounds, leaving behind freshly turned graves and a grieving husband whose life had been forever changed. The quiet village that had witnessed so much sorrow returned to stillness, but for the bereaved family, the silence now carries an unbearable weight.