The Police teams investigating the murder of vlogger Isma Ibrahim Tusubira alias Olaxess alias Jaja Iculi, have concluded that his shooting was a targeted incident.   

“What we can confirm is that it (shooting) was not a random attack but a targeted incident,” Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said in a statement released on Monday, May 8.   

Tusubira, a vlogger, music and political analyst, was gunned down on May 6, 2023, at around 9:15 pm, near his home at Kyanja Central Zone in Nakawa Division, Kampala.  

His sudden death came as a big shock to many of his followers and the general public. He has been mourned by a cross-section of Ugandans including President Yoweri Museveni, who likened the killers to ‘pigs’. The President said the NRM government enjoys defeating unarmed opponents with counter-arguments.

In the statement, Enanga said that a joint task team of security experts from the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Crime Intelligence, Forensics, Information Technology and the Kampala Metropolitan Police territorial units were continuing to investigate the tragic murder by shooting of Tusubira.   

“Our task teams are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses to help determine the circumstances of the case,” the statement reads in part.  

According to Enanga, preliminary investigations revealed that Tusubira was gunned down by two assailants who were armed with one pistol, who he said emerged from their hide-out near the deceased’s gate. He explained that they fired multiple shots, killing him instantly from the passenger seat.   

Enanga added that Tusuubira’s driver, Mathias Wasswa, remained unscathed despite the bullets riddling the driver’s side.   

“The two assailants escaped on foot up to the main road and got away on a motorcycle that was waiting for them,” he explained, adding that the K9 dog that was deployed to follow the assailants stopped at the main road but one glove, suspected to have been left behind by the killers was recovered by the dog.  

“We are also reviewing the entire movement of the victim, and his driver from Munyonyo at around 4:00 pm, via the Entebbe Expressway, the stopover and dinner at Nyakana’s bar in Mutungo, where they left at around 8:15 pm, for his home,” he stated.   

According to Enanga, the investigating teams have so far established, that along the way, the deceased received a phone call, and asked the driver to park aside near the Munyonyo roundabout, “so as to wait for the person behind the phone call”.  

“He (caller) did not appear and they drove on. They reached the gate to the victim’s residence at around 9:15 pm, where they were attacked and the victim shot dead,” Enanga said.  

The statement further states, “It’s not clear whether the caller is linked to the masterminds of the murder or not, but our investigations will establish in due course.” 

Enanga, however, said the motive of the murder was yet to be established, but raised concern about what he termed as the rampant speculation about the murder, by different bloggers, netizens, and the media, which he said continues to do a disservice to the family and the public. 

“Because it puts out versions that have not been verified, although, some of his (Tusubira) videos were controversial, we are yet to establish, whether his murder is related to his social media work or other motives,” he explains.  

“Our thoughts continue to be with his immediate family, friends, relatives and all well-wishers who were affected by the sad incident. Our task team is working diligently in trying to identify the persons responsible for the violent murder and bring them to book,” Enanga stated.