William Unek
Ugandan serial mass murderer who killed 58 in two sprees.
William Unek, who died on 20 February 1957, was a Ugandan serial mass murderer responsible for the deaths of 58 people in two separate spree killings in the mid-1950s. His birth name was Adrogo Urwinyo, and he belonged to the Alur people, specifically from the Jahoulur chiefdom in Okoro County, West Nile District. The Alur region straddles the northeastern Congo and northwestern Uganda, and under colonial rule, the Alur enjoyed a degree of autonomy, including self-regulated border crossings. His first massacre occurred on a Saturday night in either February 1954 or mid-1955 in Angala village, Mahagi territory, Belgian Congo. He invited 22 relatives to a banquet for an indigenous festival. After the celebration, most of the guests went to sleep, while two children played outside. Using a machete, he killed the 20 sleeping relatives, set the house on fire, and then murdered the two children as they returned. He fled by boat across Lake Albert into Uganda. Belgian authorities determined he blamed his close relatives for infertility in his second marriage, accusing them of hexes, and he showed signs of neurasthenia. The killings shocked both native and colonial populations. Despite inquiries to Uganda, he evaded capture. He eventually reached Tanganyika Territory, adopting the alias William Unek and claiming to be Acholi, a Luo people regarded by the British as a martial race. The Tanganyika Police Force, whose African members were mostly Luo, accepted him without a background check. By 1956, he was a constable stationed in Malampaka village, Maswa District, living with his concubine Angelina. Described as quiet and reserved, he spent the day before his second attack drinking at bars, which was unusual for him. On the night of 10–11 February 1957, he lured two superior officers from the police post by claiming they needed to arrest a man with diamonds. During the walk, he struck Corporal Opiyo unconscious. Opiyo later found the sergeant gone and heard gunshots near the railway station, where two men were dead. William then carried out a mass shooting and axe attack, killing 36 people in and around Malampaka. A nine-day manhunt ended when he was fatally wounded during capture. His true identity and connection to the Congo murders were discovered a month later.
- died
- 20 February 1957
- field
- Serial mass murder
- nationality
- Ugandan
- known_for
- Killing 58 people in two spree killings in the Belgian Congo and Tanganyika Terr
Lore & Background
William Unek's birth name was Adrogo s/o Urwinyo, an Alur of the Jahoulur chiefdom in Okoro County, West Nile District. On a Saturday night in either February 1954 or mid-1955, Adrogo invited 22 family members to a banquet at his home in Angala village, Angal chiefdom, Mahagi territory, near the northern Congo–Uganda border. After the celebration, 20 relatives went to sleep while two children went outside to play. Adrogo used a machete to kill each of the sleeping guests, then set the home on fire and fled, encountering the two children and murdering them as well. He obtained a boat at Lake Albert to cross into Uganda. According to Belgian Congo authorities, Adrogo blamed close relatives for infertility during his second marriage, accusing them of 'hexes'. He was described as showing signs of neurasthenia. He eventually ended up in Tanganyika Territory, where he gave the false identity William Unek and claimed to be Acholi. By 1956, William had joined the Tanganyika Police Force as an askari, holding the lowest rank of constable. He was stationed to Lake Province, residing in Malampaka village, Maswa District. William, along with his concubine Angelina, lived behind the police post. He was described as 'always quiet and reserved'.
Reader's Guide
On the night of 10–11 February 1957, William committed a second spree killing. Just after midnight, he came into the Malampaka police post and asked two superior officers, Sergeant Clement and Corporal Opiyo, to accompany him to arrest 'a man with several diamonds'. During the trek, William struck Opiyo in the back of the head, causing him to lose consciousness. Opiyo later found Clement dead in a hedge. William broke into the police armoury using an axe, stealing six rifles and 50 rounds of .303 ammunition. He set fire to the hut where he and Angelina lived, and inside the burned bodies of two women and a child were recovered. At Opiyo's residence, the corporal's wife and three children were found shot dead. William shot various people in town, reportedly burning down a second hut, then changed out of his police uniform into clothes stolen from a victim and fled. The killings took place over less than twelve hours. On the night of 12 February, William strangled a 15-year-old girl. Between 14 and 16 February, he attacked isolated homes, killing four more people by gunshots or slashes. The final fatality count was 36. According to William's later testimony, he had developed a one-sided rivalry with Clement, whom he accused of having an affair with Angelina. Following a nine-day manhunt, William was fatally wounded during his capture. His true identity and connection to the earlier murders in the Congo were discovered a month later.
Did You Know?
- William Unek's birth name was Adrogo s/o Urwinyo, an Alur of the Jahoulur chiefdom in Okoro County, West Nile District.
- He killed 22 relatives with a machete during a family reunion in Mahagi territory, then set the home on fire.
- After fleeing to Tanganyika, he assumed the identity William Unek and became a police constable, serving in Malampaka village.
- In his second spree, he killed 36 people using a rifle and an axe, including a 15-year-old girl he strangled.
- His true identity was discovered a month after he was fatally wounded during his capture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is William Unek?
William Unek was a Ugandan man of Alur origin from the Okoro County area who became one of the most notorious serial mass murderers in East African colonial history. He killed 58 people across two separate spree events in the mid-1950s.
What crimes did William Unek commit?
His first spree involved a mass stabbing directed at relatives, and his second spree combined a mass shooting with an axe attack. Together the two events left 58 people dead.
Where did William Unek's killings take place?
The two sprees occurred in what was then the Belgian Congo (today's Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the Tanganyika Territory (today's Tanzania). His route spanned two separate colonial jurisdictions.
How did William Unek's story end?
A nine-day manhunt across the region ultimately led to his capture. He was executed on 20 February 1957.
Why is William Unek considered notable?
The sheer scale of 58 victims in two rapid sprees, combined with the mix of stabbing, shooting, and axe attacks, shocked both indigenous and colonial communities. The incident prompted a large-scale, multi-territory manhunt that made it one of the most widely reported criminal events of its era in East Africa.
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