A 35-year-old Congolese national has been found dead near a porous border point in Nkuringo Town Council, Kisoro District, in what local authorities suspect could have been a violent attack.
The deceased, identified as Muhawe Purunari, a resident of Kiwanja-Mabungo Parish in Kisharu Sub-county, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was found on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at about 2pm.
Purunari, who was married and a father of four, was discovered near Nyamikumbu Village in Nkuringo Town Council, close to Kikungu-Kabuga Mpimbi in Kisharu Sub-county, DRC.
Nkuringo Town Council Mayor Edward Mugabo said the body was discovered by the deceased’s niece, who was returning from a garden in the DRC through one of the unofficial crossing points along the border.
Mugabo said the nature of injuries on the body suggested that Purunari could have been attacked with a machete, although police had not yet established the circumstances surrounding his death.
“The cuts on his face suggest that he could have been attacked with a panga, but we are waiting for investigations to establish what exactly happened,” Mugabo said.
The discovery has heightened concerns among residents and local leaders over security along the Uganda-DRC border, particularly in areas where people routinely use unofficial routes to cross between the two countries.
Mugabo called on the Resident District Commissioner and police authorities in Kisoro to increase security patrols and surveillance along the porous border points to prevent cross-border crime and maintain stability.
Police in Kisoro visited the scene and transported the body to Kisoro Hospital mortuary, where a postmortem examination is expected to be conducted.
The circumstances surrounding Purunari’s death remain unclear, and no suspect had been arrested by press time.
Kisoro police had not issued an official statement on the incident by press time.
