Kampala hitmen linked to Lira RCC murder

Fresh emerging details indicate that Lira’s deceased assistant resident city commissioner (RCC), Karim Mwase, may not have been a victim of a random attack, but of a premeditated plot carried out by assassins hired from Kampala, who travelled over 120km to Iganga to eliminate him. 

Security sources involved in the investigation have confirmed that Mwase’s murder bears the hallmarks of a professional hit, citing encrypted WhatsApp voice notes and threatening audio messages traced to Kampala-based phone numbers. 

These were received by the deceased in the days leading up to his death. Accordingly, phone and movement logs have also provided crucial clues, linking the plot to criminal operators with prior involvement in politically motivated attacks. 

“This wasn’t spontaneous,” said a senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This was coordinated. It followed a script and unfortunately, it succeeded.” 

The source added that Mwase’s case is reminiscent of the March 30, 2015, killing of Joan Kagezi, then assistant Director of Public Prosecution, who was shot dead in Kiwaatule while driving home. 

“Different context, but the method — professional execution, escape and trail obfuscation — is similar,” said the source. Kagezi’s suspected killers were arrested eight years later, arraigned before court and remanded.

Phone forensics 

Investigators say the trail to Mwase’s killers began cooling almost immediately after his body was found on May 11, but phone metadata helped reconstruct a timeline. 

Mwase, according to tracking logs, made calls between 6:30pm and 7:30pm while in Iganga town, some to government colleagues, others to numbers now flagged as suspicious. 

Preliminary investigations also indicated that Mwase had stopped at Busesa trading centre, Iganga district, where he reportedly offered a lift to a woman. 

That woman has since become a prime person of interest. Moments after the pick-up, Mwase disappeared. 

His body was later discovered in Nabwoli village, Nakalama sub-county, dumped like roadside garbage in a roadside trench, with facial bruises, bleeding from the mouth and nose and other signs of a violent end. 

Besides the trench was a black Toyota Sienta, registration number UBH 449L, with hazard lights still flashing. 

The car belonged to Bugweri assistant resident district commissioner (RDC), Abdallah Nasir Kakaire, who had lent it to Mwase earlier that weekend.

When he was alerted of the abandoned vehicle, Kakaire arranged for a tow truck, but before they could tow it, workers discovered the body nearby.

Dead car battery message 

Before a tow truck was dispatched to recover the vehicle, someone — allegedly using Mwase’s phone — contacted Kakaire, claiming that the car battery had developed a fault and that was the reason for the delay in returning the vehicle. 

“That message gave us hope he was just stuck and would be back soon,” a source close to the investigation said. ‘‘However, when we arrived at the scene, what we found was a dead body.” 

The identity of the person who used Mwase’s phone remains a critical line of inquiry for investigators.

Deceased RCC Karim Mwase

Security raids 

Security operatives have since launched sweeping operations across Kampala Metropolitan Policing (KMP) areas, specifically targeting hideouts in the hunt for the would-be-killers. 

By Tuesday evening, sources said “persons of interest” had been zeroed in on, though no formal arrests had been announced by press time. 

“They (the killers) did not come from Iganga,” a source privy to the probe said. “They were dispatched from Kampala. Their travel, surveillance of the target and communication suggest detailed preparation.” 

Authorities believe the hitmen could have been recruited by a network of underworld fixers that operate within KMP area and local criminal brokers. 

In Iganga, similar gangs have been dismantled in the past – such as the ring linked to Nagib Ngobi and Awali Mafabi, who orchestrated carjackings and killings before being netted last year, according to the 2024 annual crime report.

What was the motive? 

While the motive remains under scrutiny, investigators have not ruled out politically and financially motivated triggers. 

Reportedly, Mwase, a trained teacher who also ran mobile money kiosks and had been involved with a local non-government organisation before his appointment as RCC, may have fallen victim to multiple intersecting conflicts. 

“He was a man of many hats, which makes things complex,” said an investigating officer familiar with the file. “He had political connections, financial dealings and was vocal on certain land matters.”

Final hours 

Mwase was last seen publicly at a private gathering organised by Iganga RDC Haji Sadala Wandera on Sunday afternoon. The event, held at Wandera’s residence in Makuutu village, was attended by over 50 RDCs and assistants from the eastern region. 

According to political insiders, the purpose of the gathering was for Wandera to formally announce his intention to contest for the Bugweri municipality parliamentary seat. 

Shortly after the announcement, Wandera reportedly fainted and was rushed to Imperial Hospital. 

The dinner continued later that evening at Sana Hotel, on the Iganga-Jinja highway. 
That was the last time Mwase was seen alive — around 7:30pm — before he excused himself, allegedly to return to his temporary residence. 

Questions now abound: Who was the woman he gave a lift to? Why did he divert from his intended route? Who tipped off authorities about the abandoned car?

Who was Karim Mwase? 

Born in Bugiri district and raised by a single mother with the support of the local community and legislator, James Kubeketerya (Bunya East), Mwase’s life was a textbook tale of resilience. 

From teacher to NGO officer, then mobile money agent and finally RCC, Mwase’s life was marked by determination and service. 

“He never forgot where he came from,” said an RDC, who spoke on condition of anonymity to New Vision. 

“Even as RCC, he still ran his small businesses, helped people with school fees and sent money back home,” they said. 

He added: “But that visibility might have drawn unwanted attention. The Police are now investigating whether his business dealings made him a target for extortion or criminal syndicates.”

RDC’s lined up 

In the wake of the killing, several of Mwase’s colleagues have been summoned to give statements. 

Among them are the 50 RDCs who attended Wandera’s gathering, staffers from Sana Hotel and associates who accompanied him to an introduction ceremony in Kirongero village, Bugiri district, the day before. 

Buikwe assistant RDC Sanon Dalah, who hosted the introduction ceremony, confirmed that Mwase was present and had planned to return to Lira on Monday. 

“He was in a good mood,” Dalah said. “None of us expected that would be the last time we would see him.” Also questioned was Kakaire, who had lent him the vehicle. Kakaire’s statement detailed the timeline from when the car was borrowed to when it was reported abandoned.

No arrests, but more leads 

By Tuesday evening, Busoga East regional Police spokesperson Michael Kafayo confirmed that the file is active and progressing. “We have strong leads, and investigations are ongoing,” he said. 

Kafayo called on the public to volunteer information, especially anyone who may have seen suspicious movement near Busesa or Nabwoli village on the night of May 11. 
“We need the public’s help. No detail is too small,” he emphasised.

Eyewitnesses, cctv clues

An anonymous eyewitness told Police that he saw three men emerge from Mwase’s vehicle holding someone — likely Mwase — before vanishing into nearby bushes. 

“I heard someone scream once, asking for help,” the witness told investigators. Moments later, the three men reportedly boarded a waiting bodaboda and sped off toward the Mbale direction. 

Police are now reviewing Closed Circuit Television camera (CCTV) footage from Sana Hotel and surrounding areas to trace the movements of Mwase and any individuals who may have followed or intercepted him. 

A security canine introduced at the crime scene tracked a scent for about 1km, before losing the trail near a bodaboda stage.

Highway killings

Mwase’s murder adds to a worrying trend of highway-related killings across the country. 

The latest annual Police crime report shows that while overall crime dropped from 228,074 cases in 2023 to 218,715 last year, violent crimes like abduction and highway murder remain disturbingly high. 

Last year alone, 88,985 suspects were arrested, while 220,594 people were recorded as victims of crime, many in relation to domestic violence, murder and armed robbery. 

Police recently cracked several criminal syndicates involved in car theft and resale. 

Some of these rings included brokers, garage owners and even bodaboda riders — suggesting a wide web of collaboration, often used to facilitate quick escapes post-attack.