The mystery surrounding the sudden death of Martha Ahumuza Murari, the 23-year-old patron who died in Kololo last month, is finally beginning to clear after a postmortem revealed she died of internal brain bleeding, ruling out earlier poisoning claims.
According to a police forensic pathologist who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the autopsy—conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital under the supervision of Mr. Moses Byaruhanga, the Director of Police Medical Services—confirmed that Ahumuza succumbed to increased intracranial pressure caused by bleeding in the brain.
“The cause of death was increased intracranial pressure due to intracranial bleeding,” the pathologist reveaaled in a report. “This type of bleeding, often referred to as a brain haemorrhage, exerts pressure on vital centres in the brain, leading to a shutdown of critical body functions.”
The senior forensic expert explained that the bleeding may have been triggered by a sudden spike in blood pressure, possibly caused by physical or emotional excitement.
“She experienced a burst blood vessel in the brain, leading to bleeding into the brainstem—the part of the brain responsible for breathing and heartbeat,” the expert revealed. “This caused her to lose consciousness and die shortly after.”
Attempts to reach Dr. Byaruhanga for an official comment were unsuccessful by press time.
Earlier, Brian Kambaho, a family member, had told mourners that doctors informed the family that Ahumuza’s chest was filled with fluids caused by vomiting, and a scan later confirmed bleeding in the brain.
What exactly happened that night?
Ahumuza collapsed on the night of March 27 while in the manager’s office at Mezo Noir bar with her friend, Edward Mugabo, who works as a cashier at the establishment. Initial police investigations suspected poisoning, prompting a toxicology test at the Government Analytical Laboratory.
However, police sources have since confirmed that no traces of poison were found in Ahumuza’s internal organs—casting serious doubt on the possibility of foul play through chemical means.
According to investigators, Ahumuza left her Namugongo home in Wakiso District earlier that day while her mother, Barbara Kagonyera, was away. She first visited another Kololo bar before joining Mugabo at Mezo Noir around 11 pm.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Ahumuza and Mugabo entering the manager’s office at around 3:30 am, a section of the premises that lacks CCTV coverage.
Moments later, Mugabo allegedly ran out, alerted his brother Joseph Kalenzi, and the two rushed her to Kampala Hospital, where she was placed on life support but was pronounced dead shortly after.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, SCP Patrick Onyango, confirmed that both the postmortem and toxicology reports have been finalised and forwarded to the DPP for legal guidance.
“We are now awaiting a decision from the DPP on the next course of action,” Onyango revealed, adding that police earlier retrieved WhatsApp messages exchanged between Ahumuza and Mugabo, which remain under review as part of the ongoing investigation.
