One shot dead in foiled car robbery

Jul 18, 2014

AN armed robbery gone wrong has left one person hospitalized after being shot in the face by unknown robbers

By Donald Kiirya in Jinja 

AN armed robbery gone wrong has left one person hospitalized after being shot in the face by unknown robbers. 

It happened along Tobacco Road in Industrial Area, Jinja town at around 10:30am on Thursday.

According to Samuel Kigongo, an eye Witness, two employees of MM Integrated Steel Mills (U) Limited were in their Ipsum car registration number UAN 388Z heading to town when another car approached them and tried to intercept them but they resisted and that is when one of the armed robbers pointed a gun at them and shot three times. 

The two employees were identified as Fizal Kutesa, 34, a driver and an Indian only identified as Ajawar, a Sales Manager of the steel factory located in Maternity village in Walukuba/Masese division in Jinja. 

The deceased, Kutesa, is also a taxi driver at Namulesa stage in Jinja and he is a resident of Namulesa village in Mafubira Sub County. 

Kigongo said the armed thugs were in a silver grey Premio vehicle registration number UAH 551R.

He said Kutesa tried to knock the robbers’ car by the driver’s side in an attempt to fight them off and the robbers drove off towards Masese side without taking anything. 

Isa Buyoga, the GISO of Walukuba/Masese division said he witnessed the incident happen at a distance of about 100 meters near Engaano Millers factory. 

Buyoga said the driver of the Ipsum vehicle drove it and knocked a perimeter wall at Engaano Millers factory after losing control of the vehicle.  

“I heard three gun shots and by the time I approached the vehicle, Kutesa was bleeding profusely and I assisted him to get out of the vehicle and lay down and started calling Police to come and help,” Buyoga said.

The ill-fated Ipsum is towed away after the incident. Photo by Donald Kiirya

Buyoga added that he called the management of MM Integrated Steel Mills who arrived with the vehicle and rushed Kutesa in Jinja Referral Hospital for medication. 

He said the Indian who was with Kutesa in the same vehicle acquired a minor cut on his forehead and was taken by bodaboda to Islamic Medical Centre for treatment.

Kibugujjo Musisi, the L.C 3 chairperson of Walukuba Masese division said this was the second incident to happen in the same area. 

He cautioned management of various factories in Jinja to always have security personnel escort them to the bank while taking large sums of money. 

According to Apollo Kateeba, the Jinja district Police Commander, the robbers did not take any money adding that they have mounted an investigation in order to arrest them since the residents gave them a vital clue by providing a registration number plate of the robbers’ car to Police. 

Kateeba also cautioned management of factories against sending their employees with large sums of money to banks without security and requested them to always approach Police to provide them with security incase when they are planning to take money to the bank. 

He revealed that Police recovered six guns last year adding that this was the first incident of an armed robbery in Jinja this year. 

At Jinja Hospital, doctors and nurses in ward 9 were working tirelessly to save Kutesa’s life; they stitched his face and put several blood and water drips on him. 

Kutesa’s situation was worsening and doctors decided to refer him to Mulago hospital.  

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