Soldiers Arrested Over City Murders

Jun 26, 2002

THREE UPDF soldiers, among them a Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) operative, have been arrested by the police over the recent upsurge of crime in Kampala city.

By Grace MatsikoTHREE UPDF soldiers, among them a Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) operative, have been arrested by the police over the recent upsurge of crime in Kampala city.Cpl. William Muhindo, privates Kasim Tibaijuka and Hannington Katsereka are being interrogated at Jinja Road Police Station, Kampala, military and police sources said yesterday.The Jinja Road Divisional Police commander, Pius Mutabazi, yesterday said the trio were arrested in connection with the robbery of a motorcycle on Friday night in Mbuya, a Kampala suburb.“We have that case and our officers are still investigating,” Mutabazi said.Military sources said Muhindo is attached to the UPDF 35th Brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Katsereka is attached to the 165th Brigade. Katsereka is also said to be attached to the CMI at the UPDF 1st Division headquarters at Kakiri near Kampala.Army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza said yesterday, “Sina Habari (I don’t have that information)”. He promised to verify the reports.Officers investigating the case said a bodaboda cyclist, Yonasani Mbiro, had his motorbike taken at gunpoint by three people, one armed with a pistol, near Mbuya Church of Uganda Primary School. Mbiro said the attackers locked him in a pit latrine at a nearby building.“The man (Mbiro) said he managed to get out of the latrine through an opening on the top. He said he followed his assailants who had not moved very far while raising an alarm. They caught up with them but one of them allegedly pulled out a pistol and they left him,” a police investigator said.He said the villagers handed over one of the suspects to police. The suspect allegedly revealed the identities of his colleagues.There has been a spate of armed robberies and killings in Kampala in the last one month. Some people point a finger at security agencies.Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});