What happened as the Kisoro couple was shot dead at their home gate

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At about 11pm on Saturday, Africano Nteziyaremye and his wife, Peace Kyompeire, reached the gate of their home in Zindiro Cell, Kisoro Municipality.

The couple were returning in their Toyota pickup from their wholesale shop along Mosque Road, opposite Baby Coach, when unidentified assailants attacked and shot them dead.

For decades, their business had made them familiar figures in Kisoro town.

Their deaths prompted tributes, including from researcher Bernard Sabiti, who described an enterprise built over years of serving the community.

“Oh Lord what a terrible tragedy! This couple were a fixture of our little town for decades, serving our community by running a simple retail business that they grew into a strong business empire,” Sabiti wrote on X.

Reports had earlier indicated that the couple had been killed at their home gate shortly before midnight.

Police subsequently confirmed the deaths, identified both victims and placed the shooting at approximately 11pm on October 17.

Kigezi Regional Police spokesperson SP Nelson Tumushime said the attack occurred in Zindiro Cell, Kamonyi Ward, as the couple returned from their shop.

“The scene was examined by a team of detectives and canine unit for evidence gathering,” Tumushime said in a statement issued on Sunday.

No arrests had been made when police released the statement. Investigators had not publicly established a motive or disclosed whether money or other property was stolen.

It also remained unclear whether the attackers had followed the couple or waited near their home.

Alongside his tribute, Sabiti raised concerns about personal safety in Kisoro, recalling that someone had recently warned him against sleeping at his village home because of the risk of robbery.

The double murder comes against a national backdrop of thousands of reported homicides. Uganda

Police recorded 4,238 homicide cases in 2025, compared with 4,329 in 2024, according to its 2025 Annual Crime Report.

Despite the approximately 2.1 per cent decline, the annual total represented nearly 12 reported cases a day, covering all homicide categories rather than shootings alone. 

The killings also come amid an announcement by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba of an operation targeting criminals across the country.

“We have launched ‘Operation Kisasi’ against criminals in the country. It will not end until we finish them,” Muhoozi wrote on X.

As detectives pursue the assailants, Tumushime appealed to anyone with information to help establish what happened at the couple’s gate.

“We appeal to anyone with information regarding this heinous murder to share it with the nearest police station,” he said.

Kisoro contains two international borders;

• Cyanika Border (Kyanika): Connects Kisoro District (Uganda) with Burera District (Rwanda). It serves as a key gateway for tourists traveling between Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. 
• Bunagana Border: Connects Kisoro District (Uganda) with the Rutshuru Territory in North Kivu province (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

These two border points can be an access route for movement of illegal guns that are suspected to be used in comitting violence and murders.