Kampala Hotel Manager and Security Guard Stabbed to Death

Police are investigating the brutal killings of a hotel manager and a security guard at Dave Hotel and Suites in Mbubi Zone, Kampala. The two employees were found stabbed to death over the weekend, and a vehicle was reportedly stolen from the premises.

The victims, 30-year-old Shivani Asasira, the hotel manager, and Lawrence Musinguzi, a security guard, were discovered by the hotel owner on Saturday evening in separate locations within the building. Patrick Lukenge, LC1 chairperson of Mbubi Zone, said the officer-in-charge of Lungujja Police alerted him to the incident around 4 p.m.

“I went to the scene and found two people had been killed in the hotel,” Lukenge said. “The security guard was killed in his office, while the manager was killed in her bedroom. All bodies were left in a pool of blood.”

Lukenge noted that the hotel had only recently opened, having been converted from a microfinance training facility three months ago. Previously, the site had been abandoned, and he was unaware it had begun operations.

Forensic detectives confirmed both victims suffered severe stab wounds to the chest, neck, and abdomen. Investigators believe the killings occurred simultaneously. One detective suggested Asasira may have been sexually assaulted before her death, and samples have been taken to determine if a sexual crime occurred.

Racheal Kawala, spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, said the bodies were moved to Mulago Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examinations. She added that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects.

Preliminary findings indicate that Asasira called the hotel owner at 10 a.m. on February 7 to report she could not locate Musinguzi, whose phones were off. The owner attempted to call back at 11:30 a.m., but Asasira did not answer. When he arrived at the hotel at 3 p.m., he discovered both employees dead.

The attackers also stole a white Toyota Harrier, registration UBH 633M. Authorities note this case reflects a shift in criminal tactics, with perpetrators increasingly using machetes and sharp weapons rather than firearms.

In a separate weekend incident in Kira, thugs on motorcycles smashed a car window and stole 25 million shillings, a robbery that witnesses said took less than three minutes.

According to the 2024 Police Crime Annual Report, Uganda recorded over 4,000 homicides last year, averaging about 12 killings per day. The report also noted 573 cases of cash robbery, a 4 percent increase from the previous year. Kampala Metropolitan Police North recorded the highest number of aggravated robberies with 86 cases. Methods of killing included assault, poisoning, arson, and domestic violence, resulting in 4,329 deaths nationwide.