The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Preparations are underway by Ugandan authorities to handover the remains of John Batista Nkyerengye, a Rwandan national who was shot dead in Kamwezi Sub County in Rukiga District on Friday evening.
He was shot by an unidentified Rwandan soldier together with Alex Nyesiga Atuheire, a resident of Nyakabungo village in Kamwezi Sub County at Mpororo trading Centre in Kiruhura village.
Trouble started when Rwandan soldiers crossed to Uganda to arrest a Rwandan smuggler for attempting to cross to Rwanda with second hand clothes.
A scuffle erupted after the Rwandan soldiers impounded a motorcycle registration number RE736G, which the smuggler was using drawing protests from residents who accused them of illegally crossing into Uganda’s territorial boundary to conduct an arrest.
This prompted one of the soldiers to draw his gun that was concealed in a long jacket and opened fire killing Nkyerengye and Nyesiga. The Rwandan soldiers attempted to retrieve Nkyerengye’s body prompting Uganda Police to shoot in the air forcing them to retreat with the motorcycle, goods and unidentified Rwandan smuggler who had crossed into Uganda.
Uganda Police retrieved the bodies and took them to Kamwezi health center before they were relocated to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem. However, preparations are underway to hand over Nkyerengye’s body to Rwandan authorities later today.
By the time of filing this story, the bodies were being prepped at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital mortuary under the Command of Richard Ecega, the Kigezi Region Police Commander for transportation by Kigezi Friends Forever Funeral Services.
Security officials told URN that they were waiting for a delegation comprising top security and Foreign Affairs Ministry officials from Kampala to transport Nkyerengye’s body to Katuna border where they will hand it over to Rwandan officials.
According to government spokesman Ofwono Opondo, Deputy Inspector General of Police Sabiiti Muzeeyi will lead the Ugandan team.
The Later Nyesiga’s body will be delivered to his family in Kamwezi sub county in Rukiga district for a decent burial. Uganda police Force is footing the burial costs of both victims. Security has remained tight at both sides of the border.
Two suspected Rwanda Defense Forces-RDF soldiers were picked up from Kamwezi Sub County in Rukiga district on Sunday for suspected espionage. Bosoce Ishimwe and Peter Sanvura, both residents of Tabarwe in Nyagatare District, Rwanda were picked up together with Silva Muhwezi, a resident of Kamwezi Sub County.
A security official told our reporter this morning that the suspects were taken to the UPDF 2nd division headquarters in Mbarara for questioning.
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