We don't know who shot — Police

CRIME     POLITICS

KAMPALA - The Police have said they are yet to establish who was behind the shooting of a People Power supporter, Daniel Kyeyune, on Tuesday evening in Nansana municipality.

But People Power activists, family members, and friends are accusing Local Defence Unit (LDU) personnel of being responsible for the death of the 26-year-old.

Kyeyune was allegedly shot dead during a face-off between People Power supporters and Police at Masitoowa in Nansana municipality.

Wakiso district. Stand-off

The stand-off followed the Police's move to block a procession by the supporters of Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, who were returning from the burial of another People Power activist, Ritah Nabukenya, in Kiboga district.

Nabukenya was killed on Monday in a bodaboda accident at Naguru, Kampala under contentious circumstances.

Bobi Wine's procession included a fleet of vehicles and a big number of bodabodas.

But the bodabodas were riding ahead of the procession and Bobi Wine arrived after the shooting that occurred at about 8:00 pm.

In a tweet after the incident at Nansana, Bobi Wine stated: "This evening as we returned from the burial of Ritah Nabukenya, who was murdered by Police yesterday, Police and LDU personnel shot at the crowd of people who were waving at me around Nansana. Our brother, Dan Kyeyune died on the spot. Others sustained severe injuries."

What Police say

But according to Police, the rowdy group was joined by another one from Nansana, armed with sticks and started beating bystanders and other road users.

The Police added that the violent crowd in vehicles, motorcycles and on foot ignored several orders to disperse. "They absolutely disregarded our instructions and aggressively approached the joint team of patrollers, while others dangerously pelted them with stones," Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango stated.

The team, Onyango said, used several crowd dispersal methods that included batons, teargas, and bullets.

"In the heat of the moment, the body of a male adult, allegedly shot by unknown persons, was found near the Bank of Africa in Nansana. The patrollers retrieved the body of the victim amid hostilities and transported it to City Mortuary Mulago for post mortem analysis," Onyango added.

Onyango said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed the directorate of criminal investigations to thoroughly investigate the shooting incident. "A task team has already reconstructed the scene and is reviewing, among other things, recordings from the CCTV cameras, 999 dispatch, and accounts from witnesses." "All patrollers on duty last night, are being interviewed and their weapons, exhibited for further forensic analysis," he said.

"We will definitely identify the culprits behind the murder by shooting, as well as those who were behind the violent and riotous crowds and ensure that they are brought to book."

Onyango said the IGP has reached out to the family and extended heartfelt condolences. The Police have also taken care of the burial expenses.

They pledged to continue to maintain public safety and public confidence by not allowing instigated incidents of violence to escalate out of control.

Kampala Metropolitan Police, in a tweet on Tuesday evening, stated: "Police in Nansana has registered an incident of murder by shooting around Masitowa, Nansana and a hit-and-run accident involving our officer this evening. The motive of the shooting is not yet established. However, the body of the victim has been taken to the city mortuary Mulago."

Kyeyune's stepfather, David Kabuye, is a Police officer attached to Kasubi Police Station and a resident of Nakulabye in Kampala.

Another person who claimed to have witnessed the incident told New Vision that: "When LDUs threw a tear gas canister, one of them came close to where we were. When Eddy Yawe noticed, he told Kyeyune to hide beside his car."

"The guy pointed the gun at Kyeyune and shot him in the eye," he said.

Aisha Kabanda, former Kampala City Resident Commissioner and now a People Power activist, on Tuesday night, posted on her Facebook wall: "Another People Power supporter is killed at Nansana by Police. He was part of Bobi's convoy from Kiboga after the burial of Ritah. kitalo."

"I thought it was a mistake... Oh God, how am I going to survive without my son? He has been taking good care of me," Kyeyune's mother Ritah Naluggya, cried out as she was being consoled by relatives and friends.

"He has left us in a sorry state, there is nothing he has left behind for our welfare.

He did not have a specific job," the mother explained saying he was juggling all sorts of jobs to fend for her and his children.

Sharon Namiiro, a sister of the deceased said he loved both his siblings and their children.

Namiiro added that she last talked to her brother on Friday when she was telling him to get saved.

Clash with mourners

Meanwhile, the Police yesterday used teargas to disperse a group of rowdy People Power activists who had gathered at the deceased's home at Nakulabye Zone IV.

It is alleged that some youth pelted stones at the Police patrol vehicles after reportedly receiving information that the Police had refused to release the body from the City Mortuary at Mulago so that it is taken to Nakulabye.

Instead, the body was to be transported directly to his ancestral home in Namayumba, Wakiso district.

People Power activists wanted the body to spend a night at Nakulabye, although the stepfather, himself a Police officer, had reportedly allowed the Police to take the body directly to the ancestral home for burial, which they did.

Burial is today in Namayumba.

Additional reporting by Joan Murungi and Stuart Yiga