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Poison ruled out in Mezo Noir bar death
Deceased: Martha Ahumuza Murari, 23. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
On March 21, 2025, Martha Ahumuza Murari allegedly collapsed from Mezo Noir bar in Kololo, Kampala City, on allegations of suspected poisoning.
A preliminary investigation report from the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) in Wandegeya, Kampala, states that Martha Ahumuza Murari, who collapsed at Mezo Noir and later died at Kampala Hospital, did not die from poison.
Detectives close to this investigation informed this publication that specialised forensic experts from GAL conducted a toxicology analysis from the samples that were taken from Ahumuza’s internal organs and did not find any traces of poison.
A forensic analyst who preferred anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said experts collected samples from the deceased and analysed them using chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques and then compiled a report detailing the substances detected, their concentrations, and potential implications.
“We attached the GAL report on the police file and we gave it back to detectives at Kampala Metropolitan Police headquarters for further investigations,” the analyst said.
A toxicology report is a document detailing the results of analysing biological samples (like blood, urine, or hair) to identify and quantify the presence of drugs, alcohol, or other potentially toxic substances. It helps determine the type and amount of substances present in a person's system, aiding in investigations, medical evaluations, or legal proceedings. Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed to Daily Monitor yesterday that postmortem and toxicology reports were done and the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
Mr Onyango noted that the file came back from DPP and he advised that the prime suspect, Edward Mugabo, the cashier at Mezo Noir, and his brother Joseph Kalenzi, should be given police bond as investigations continue. Last Friday, the two suspects were given police bond. He, however, did not disclose the details of the postmortem report, saying that the results were given to the aggrieved family members and they were instructed to take the results as confidential.
“State Attorney advised to do a forensic report for further investigation as police awaits a final decision from DPP,” Mr Onyango said.
Mr Brian Kambaho, a family member earlier informed mourners during a funeral service that the doctors explained to him that Ahumuza’s chest was filled with fluids from vomiting and the brain scan showed that she had bled from inside her brain, which claimed her life.
Background
On March 21, 2025, Martha Ahumuza Murari allegedly collapsed from Mezo Noir bar in Kololo, Kampala City, on allegations of suspected poisoning.
Ahumuza reportedly met her friend Edward Mugabo, a cashier at the bar, and they stayed together until 3:30am when they moved to the manager’s office. Sources privy to the investigations revealed that the manager’s office does not have CCTV cameras.
The deceased reportedly collapsed in the office and Mr Mugabo notified his brother, Joseph Kalenzi. They rushed the victim to Kampala Hospital, where she was put on life support and later died. Ahumuza was buried in Nyarubanga, Mbarara, on March 23.
