Gunmen execute businessman, two staff; wife top suspect

Mar 03, 2016

A neighbour says gunfire rocked the neighbourhood for about three minutes before a bodaboda (motorcycle) sped off into the night.

KAMPALA - Hardly a week after the gunning down of a betting company manager at his home gate, another businessman has been murdered - execution style - just as he waited outside his home to be opened for.

Didas Tukundane, 42, was gunned down Tuesday night outside his gate in Busega, Kibumbiro Zone B.

Two of his workers - Lauben Niwamanya and Justus Muhereza - he had in the back of the car, a Toyota Noah (UAT 210H), were also shot.

A neighbour, Richard Mubiru, says gunfire rocked the neighbourhood for about three minutes before a bodaboda (motorcycle) sped off into the night at 9.30pm local time.

Whereas Tukundane was shot eight times, he died on arrival at Rubaga Hospital. Muhereza died on spot while police said Niwamanya died Wednesday morning at Mulago Hospital.


Wife picked for grilling


Tukundane's wife, Christine Kaitesi, was picked for questioning following revelations of a disturbing sequence of events.

The couple that worked at their wholesale shop, Tina Traders, along Kafumbe Mukasa Road in Kisenyi, always used one vehicle to and from work.

On the fateful night however, Kaitesi left work earlier than her husband and went home. She however said in her statement that she too owned a car, a Subaru, which she had left at Shell refilling station in Mengo to have a tyre repaired.

Neighbours also said that following the shooting, Kaitesi called her husband's phone and when he did not pick up, she emerged from the gate to find his limp body slumped across the co-driver's seat, covered in blood.

"She hopped into the car and attempted to drive off but was stopped by bewildered neighbours who asked what she was doing," a witness said.

 he vehicle in which ukundane and two of his workers were gunned down outside his gate in usega   The vehicle in which Tukundane and two of his workers were gunned down outside his gate in Busega

 

Kaitesi is reported to have said she was rushing her husband to hospital, but was told she was in no state of mind to drive and so a neighbour rushed Tukundane to hospital in a Double Cabin Pickup.

While some witnesses told police it was disturbing that Kaitesi did not exhibit any emotions, the more sympathetic ones claimed she could have been in a state of shock and was unaware of what was happening.

Sequence of events

Police is also looking into a series of reports by relatives, friends and colleagues of the couple indicating that the couple had been having misunderstandings ranging from accusations of infidelity to money-related issues.

At the centre of their misunderstandings was a new house the couple built in Buloba, Kirimamboga. They had planned to move from Busega in December 2015 but Tukundane said the house was not ready yet. Kaitesi however suspected, according to sources, that her husband was planning to put another woman in the house.

There also emerged reports of money 'vanishing' from their business over which the couple clashed a number of times.

The highlight of this was the shocking disappearance of sh17m which Kaitesi claimed had been robbed from her on the way home.

Tukundane is also reported to have once found someone loading bags of sugar that had been delivered to his shop onto another vehicle. He had discovered that someone from within had been in the know of the theft.

Kaitesi was picked together with a one Asafu Majanti who was the first person she called after the shooting.

However, Majanti said the widow contacted him because he handled security-related matters in the area.

Tukundane, who was described by his close friend Haji Abdu Kaheesi as a very simple man to deal with, is survived by four children.

Residents also said the couple was very instrumental in church work and were very prominent parishioners at Busega.

CIID boss, Kampala South, Emmanuel Benon Ayebare, said they are still gathering evidence.

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