WHAT IS BEHIND THE MURDERS IN NANSANA AND BWAISE?

Sep 10, 2008

ON September 4, as Juma Suuna went back to his home at around 9:00pm, he was stopped by gunmen in Nakulabye. They asked him for money and when he said he did no have it, they shot him.

By Joshua Kato and Robert Mutebi

ON September 4, as Juma Suuna went back to his home at around 9:00pm, he was stopped by gunmen in Nakulabye. They asked him for money and when he said he did no have it, they shot him.

Juma Suuna is one of the victims of the recent wave of murders and robberies that have rocked this area. Residents of Nansana, a residential suburb about 10km from Kampala and its surroundings no longer enjoy nights out. Other areas include Nansana, Nabweru, Kawempe, Bwaise and along the Northern by-pass.

In the past two weeks, eight people have been brutally murdered and others injured. The killers use sharp pangas, knives and sometimes clubs fixed with nails and on occasions, guns. Some residents have called for more Police deployment.

Residents fear to go back home after 11:00pm. “We recorded over 130 cases of burglary in Nabweru sub-county between July and August,” says Fredrick Ssemayobe, the LC3 chairman.

Until a few years ago, Nansana was a small trading centre with a few shops and bars. However, it developed into a small town, surrounded by Nabweru, Bwaise, Kawempe and Kyebando.

Like Nansana, Nabweru was a small village with a few residents. Due to the high populations of about 500,000 people, crime is getting out of hand.

According to the Kawempe resident district commissioner, Edward Ssekabanja: “LCs no longer register people in their areas. Very few of them have village registers.”

In 2006, the area was faced with similar crime, but according to community leaders, it was minimal.

“This is not the first time people are being killed in this area. We had cases in 2006, but after the Police intervened, crime reduced. At that time, 10 people were killed, while another 30 were injured. “But the rate at which people are being killed is high,” says Charles Kabanda, the LC1 chairman.

Of the eight murders in the recent past, five occurred in Nansana and three in Bwaise.

Moses Ssekanabo from Zone 7 was the first victim. His bruised body was found lying on the roadside.

John Tebaggyanga, a businessman, was also killed shortly after. His body was dumped in a trench in Ttuuyanye village.

Three days later, Ponsiano Lugolobi, a taxi driver was also killed as he went back home. His body was found in a trench in Nansana West Zone Two.

In the same spot where the body was found, five other people have been brutally attacked by thugs, but luckily, they survived.

Just after Lugolobi was laid to rest, Neliko Nyabango, a resident of the area, was found murdered. Days later, Mateso Kimonyo, a security guard, was also killed and sh2,000,000 was stolen from him.

A few days later, John Magembe, a resident of Nabweru, was also attacked with metal bars.

According to the Police, all the murders have occurred at night and the bodies always bear bruises. In addition, three bodies were found near their homes while three had gunshot wounds.

In April and May, the Police arrested some suspects, including Ssebirumbi who admitted to killing, robbing and raping women.

The district internal security officer Wakiso, James Katarangi, said there was a gang of thugs terrorisng residents. “They spend their day time playing ludo and cards and got to steal at night,” he says.

Residents claim some of the community members mastermind the murders. They say some robbers have been arrested by the Police several times but are often set free.

Over the weekend, residents of Kasubi near Nansana beat a man whom they suspected of breaking into a lock-up shop. He was the third suspect to be lynched in a month.

Wakiso district area councillors, Wakayima and Margaret Namagembe are calling for deployment of more policemen in the area.

The Wakiso resident district commissioner, Abbas Sseguya, says tougher security measures and deployments are being worked on. “We are increasing patrols at night,” he says. To most residents, however, merely increasing patrols may not work if some of the policemen do not change their careless behaviour. In Kawempe, residents claim some policemen fraternise with residents in the bars and could be abbeting crime.

Local leaders say the solution lies in increased vigilance by security personnel and the population.

“Everybody has to be the other’s spy. People should be able to work with the Police and other security agencies if crime is to be stopped,” Sseguya says.

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