Police in western Uganda have launched a manhunt for a 25-year-old man accused of killing his father and grandmother inside their home on Monday night.

The incident occurred in Bulenge Zone, Kakuba Ward, Katooke Town Council, Kyenjojo District, according to Rwenzori West Police spokesperson SP Vincent Twesige.

Police identified the suspect as Allan Bainomugisha, who fled after the alleged killings. The victims were his grandmother, Molly Teo Tumusiime, 71, and his father, Dragon Bruce, 50.

A police report released Tuesday said Bainomugisha entered his grandmother’s house, where she lived with Bruce, and hid in the ceiling earlier in the evening while the two were at a nearby trading centre.

A granddaughter, only identified as Praise, told police she saw him but did not report it. She later heard Bruce praying at about 10:30 p.m., the last time she heard his voice.

“After some hours, Praise heard Bruce crying out for help. Shortly after, Teo asked what had happened to him, but she received no reply. She then called her grandson, Muhumuza, to bring her a torch. As she moved to open the sitting room door, the suspect grabbed her,” the report said.

It added: “The suspect then attacked her with a machete, cutting her several times. Muhumuza, who is 12, ran outside to alert his uncle, Ruhamire Joel, who lives nearby.”

Ruhamire told police that when he responded, he found the suspect still in the house. The man threatened to kill him, too, before fleeing. Ruhamire then reported the incident to Katooke Police Station.

Police officers who visited the scene recovered witness statements, collected blood samples, and conducted postmortems.

“Tumusiime’s body was found in the doorway between her bedroom and the sitting room, lying in a pool of blood with deep cuts on her neck, right arm, ribs, and back. Dragon Bruce’s body was found lying on his back in his bedroom next to the sitting room. He had multiple injuries, including cuts on his chest, left ear, ribs, and a severe wound on his right thumb,” police indicated.

Speaking to Monitor, Ruhamire said the killings may have been linked to a land dispute.

“Shortly after Tumusiime gave land to her son, Bainomugisha came to his father, saying he wanted to build a house there. When his father refused, Bainomugisha went ahead and brought construction materials despite the rejection. We suspect this disagreement could have been the cause of the murders,” Ruhamire said.

He added that the children had earlier seen the suspect hide in the ceiling, but did not question him since he often ate and stayed with them.

Police said investigations were ongoing and the hunt for Bainomugisha was underway.

Murders and road crashes claim about 25 lives in Uganda everyday, according to a 2024 annual police crime report.