Renowned coffee dealer found dead in Jinja guest house

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kiira Region police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 60-year-old Ali Mugaya, a renowned coffee dealer in BB Guesthouse in Market zone in Buwenge town council in Jinja district on Tuesday night.

The Guesthouse workers discovered his lifeless body this morning when they gained forceful entry into his room after knocking severally without any response. The deceased’s body is lying at Buwenge health center IV mortuary pending an autopsy.

Mugaya has been operating large coffee stores throughout Busoga sub-region and is a renowned coffee farmer in Jinja, Luuka and Kamuli districts. His friend, Muzahamu Kato, says that they spent the bigger part of Tuesday holding meetings with farmers and sensitizing them about the different measures of improving the quality of the coffee sold within the market.

They separated at about 7:00 pm only to receive information about his demise this morning. Jamila Lukudde, the older persons’ councillor in Jinja district, says that Mugaya has been a resourceful Businessman who employed largely the youthful population, arguing that his demise will negatively affect the economic wellbeing of their community.

He asked the police to comprehensively investigate the matter and provide a satisfactory report to the business community to accord their departed colleague peaceful rest. Hussein Muganza, the proprietor of the guest house, says that Mugaya sounded lively when he checked into his room at about 11:00 pm and did not request any room service.

He says that Mugaya is their longtime client who normally resided on their premises throughout his business trips within the area and they are saddened by his demise. Kiira region police spokesperson, James Mubi, says that a team of detectives is on the ground to thoroughly investigate the matter before releasing the deceased’s body to his relatives for a decent send-off.

****

URN