Prosecutor Kagezi case puts focus on target killings

Kyadondo East legislator, Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda, who sits on parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, told The Independent that given that this country has a bad history of targeted killings, it is hard to pin these murders one thing.

“It might be true that these sheikhs’ murders are a result of infighting within the Tabliq or that they have to do with the ADF but you also can’t rule out infighting between our security agencies,” he says.

Remember this government captured power by killing other people, Nganda says. Pecos Kutesa and Matayo Kyaligonza captured these things without any shame, he adds, referring to prominent fighters in the war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986 who have written books about the experience. Semujju says it could be because “they are falling out with each other”.

Ssemujju adds that a common thread in all these murders is that they have been carried out by people who are very knowledgeable about killing.

“So you also can’t rule out that some of these things are being staged,” Nganda adds, “That is why for me, I am against following one lead.”

Apart from the Sheikhs, several businessmen have been gunned down. The murder of businessman Wilberforce Noah Wamala, who was in February 2012 found beheaded at his home in Mutungo, raised disturbing details.

Wamala’s relatives and his widow blame a senior police commander for complicity in his murder, the reason, they say, their efforts in pushing the authorities to resolve his death has been frustrated over the last three years. Wamala was murdered with his house help, Sadiq Mugerwa.

The key suspect in the case was also later found dead in a police cell. He had implicated some of the deceased’s close associates.

Frustrated by the police, Wamala’s widow, petitioned President Yoweri Museveni directly seeking his intervention. In a petition, the widow noted that the police commander had been involved in procuring hit men who, at the time, were in custody on murder charges. Despite her petition, she is yet to get justice.

But before these allegations surrounding a police officer and procuring of killers could settle, another police officer was implicated in the killing of another businessman, Eria Sebunnya Bugembe, aka, Kasiwukira, who was knocked down by a pajero in October last year. Authorities ruled out a possibility it was just an accident and some of the arrested suspects confirmed they had at some point been procured to do the job. Despite these efforts, this murder too remains unresolved.

These killings have not spared police officers. Just two days after Kagezi’s shooting, machete wielding assailants raided a police post at Kasana in Luweero district, and attacked a cop, Geoffrey Baala, who died instantly.  The attackers also badly injured another, Sarah Acan, who is still in hospital.

In February, this year, two other police officers, Muzamiru Babale and Abdallah Karim Tenywa who were guards at the home of a High Court Judge, Justice Faith Mwondha, were also gunned down by assailants riding on a motorbike.

Early this month, a mobile money agent was trailed until she got out of the taxi and was shot, her wallet, which contained Shs20, 000 was taken. This was the second time she was being attacked. The first time, her assailants reportedly took Shs18 million. In all instances, they used guns.

Too many guns

For observers the rise in target killings especially the killings involving guns has to do with the increased proliferation of guns in Uganda.

According to Gunpolicy.org, an international organization that tracks gun control and trade, Uganda has over 400,000 guns in civilian hands. Of these, only 2,770 are registered and 200,000 are illicit guns. In the region, only neighbouring Kenya has more illicit guns in civilian hands.

Although Tanzania has more guns in civilian hands than Uganda; at 550,000, only 100,000 of these are estimated to be illicit. A high number; 69,840 are licensed.

Uganda’s involvement in the fight against terrorism in Somalia has exposed it as a high target for attackers, who easily take advantage of the countries porous borders to smuggle in weapons.

Matters are not helped by the fact that some the countries neighbouring Uganda; like South Sudan and DR Congo, have had unending wars and remain a major source of weapons.

Private security firms are also seen by some critics as a menace. There are reports of private guards vanishing with weapons or losing them to attackers. Assailants have also disarmed the police in attacks at police stations.

In 2013 alone, 31 guns and 190 rounds of ammunition were lost under unclear circumstances, according to the 2013 police’s annual crimes report. Police was able to recover 27 guns and 1,505 rounds of ammunition.

Because of increased insecurity especially gun crimes, police has seen an unprecedented number of applications from Ugandans for firearms.

Kayihura, who as IGP is empowered by the Police Act to approve a request for a firearm, recently said he had declined to clear several requests from civilians because of the rise of gun violence. A source at police records department, who declined to be mentioned, said the number of applications was in several thousands.

Blocking acquisition of arms, however, may not mean much in the resolving of these murders especially given that in none of the murders police is grappling with involved a police licensed gun.

Frustrated by these killings, Kayihura claims the current criminal justice system favours criminals and wants the 48-hour rule that requires police to investigate suspects and have them produced in court scrapped because it is too short for the police to get evidence.

Kayihura made his pitch while speaking on behalf of government security agencies at the requiem service of Kagezi at St Luke’s Church in Ntinda. New Chief Justice Bart Katureebe roundly opposed the suggestion saying it would compromise the basic principles of justice.

For many like Ssemujju and Rwakafuzi, the authorities must go back to the drawing board and carry out proper policing. “Otherwise, jumping to conclusions about al shabaab might just be a scapegoat that just hides the weaknesses of the authorities and that can’t resolve these murders,” Semujju said.