Police Arrest Roommate Over Murder of TikToker in Bukoto

Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Jovia Namuwulya, a waitress and TikToker who was stabbed to death in her rented room in Mukalazi Zone, Bukoto.

Namuwulya was killed on August 20, 2026, in circumstances that have prompted intensified investigations by detectives from Old Kira Road Police Station. Her body was discovered after her family raised an alarm when she repeatedly failed to answer their phone calls.

Concerned relatives contacted the caretaker of the premises, who went to check on Namuwulya. The room was locked from the outside, but when the caretaker peeped through a window, she noticed bloodstains inside. Police were subsequently called and found Namuwulya lying dead in a pool of blood.

Namuwulya had lived in the rented room for about seven months. Investigators are now working to establish what happened inside the room and the circumstances under which she was killed. Police say the investigation took a significant turn after Namuwulya’s roommate, identified as Patricia Rose Turindwamukama, fled the area following the murder.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said detectives eventually traced Turindwamukama to Mbuya, where she was reportedly hiding with her boyfriend. According to police, the boyfriend alerted authorities, leading to the suspect’s arrest.

At the time of her arrest, Turindwamukama was allegedly preparing to leave the country for Iraq. Police said she had applied for an Iraqi visa on August 21, a day after Namuwulya was killed.

“Relevant documents have been recovered and are being examined as part of the ongoing investigations to establish the motive for the killing, which is not yet known,” Kawala said.

She said investigators were examining different possibilities, including whether the killing followed a sudden disagreement or was the result of a longer-running conflict.

Police have not yet disclosed the specific evidence linking the suspect to the killing, and investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding Namuwulya’s death.

The murder adds to concerns over Uganda’s homicide burden. According to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report for 2025, the country recorded 4,238 homicide cases during the year, down slightly from 4,329 cases in 2024. The cases resulted in 4,268 deaths, with victims killed through various means, including assault, shooting, domestic violence, arson and poisoning.