KAMPALA , Uganda — Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) have arrested a key suspect in the stabbing death of 22-year-old TikTok creator and waitress Jovia Namuwulya.
The suspect, identified as Patricia Rose Turindamukama, was arrested on Monday, August 24, 2026, at a friend’s residence in Mbuya, Nakawa Division, Kampala.
KMP spokesperson Racheal Kawala said on Tuesday that Turindamukama was arrested in connection with Namuwulya’s death and was reportedly planning to flee the country to Iraq.
According to Kawala, preliminary investigations indicate that Turindamukama had applied for an Iraqi visa on August 21, one day after the incident.
“Relevant documents have been recovered and are being examined as part of the ongoing investigations,” Kawala said.
Namuwulya was found dead on August 20 in her rented room in Mukalazi Zone, Bukoto I Parish, Nakawa Division, after relatives became concerned when they could no longer reach her by phone.
Kawala said Namuwulya had rented the room about seven months earlier and later allowed Turindamukama, her friend, to move in with her.
On August 20, Namuwulya’s relatives contacted the caretaker after she stopped responding to their calls. The caretaker and Namuwulya’s sister went to the room but found it locked.
They reportedly looked through a window and noticed blood stains inside the room before gaining access.
“Looking through the window, they observed blood stains inside the room. They subsequently accessed the room and found Jovia lying in a pool of blood,” Kawala said.
Police recovered the body and transferred it to the City Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Following the incident, Turindamukama reportedly disappeared from the scene, prompting police to begin searching for her in connection with the killing.
Before her arrest, Turindamukama had taken to social media to give her account of what happened. She claimed that a man identified only as Muhammad was responsible for Namuwulya’s death.
According to her account, the two women allegedly met Muhammad through the dating application Tinder. She claimed that Namuwulya later stole money from the man and that he traced them to their rented home.
Turindamukama further alleged that Muhammad killed Namuwulya during a confrontation and that she fled the scene out of fear.
However, police have now arrested Turindamukama as investigations into the circumstances surrounding Namuwulya’s death continue.
Police are examining recovered documents and other evidence as they work to establish what exactly happened inside the room and identify all those responsible for the killing.
