Serial killer confesses he wants to quit the 'game'

By Vision reporters

After a long chase for a self-confessed murderer, I caught up with him at 11:30am at a secret location in Makindye. At first glance, Vincent Muwonge, 26, cuts an impression of a street urchin (muyaaye). His eyes are red and teary.

He talks with a laidback accent, heavy with street slang. Even with his dark complexion, your eyes cannot miss the scars that dot his body. But the 5’ 6” tall man is not afraid to tell you what caused the scars.

Showing me his hand, he says: “These are tooth bites of a bodaboda cyclist, whom I tried to strangle at Lubiri and he almost overpowered me. I reached for my pistol and shot him.”

Notorious murder squads

For the last 10 years, Muwonge has been a member of the notorious murder squads, which are hired to rob and murder their victims. The squads have names, like Kikankane, Yellow Face and Black Face.

Muwonge confesses that while executing their missions, squad members use acid, chloroform, iron bars and guns, in addition to strangulation.

Tired of the trade

After brutally killing a chain of Ugandans in cold blood, Muwonge wants to quit the trade and that is why he has come out openly to confess. He is, however, afraid that he might be killed by his colleagues, who are still at large and he is currently living as a fugitive, sneaking from one hideout to another.

Muwonge says he has approached the Police for assistance.

Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, Andrew Kaweesi, confirmed to Saturday Vision Muwonge had, indeed, contacted the force and that he had met him.

“We have constituted a commission to investigate his claims and come up with a report in one week. We shall reveal everything in the report to the press,” he said.

Kaweesi noted that whereas some of Muwonge’s allegations hold water, others appear concocted. Muwonge confesses that the squads have survived for long because they work with prominent businessmen, politicians, the Police and army.

How he joined the gang

Muwonge joined the gangs after dropping out of school in 2001.

“Although my father was fairly wealthy, I quit school in P.7 because I was tired of the constant mistreatment by my stepmother. Some of my siblings are still in school,” he says.

Muwonge says he was recruited into the gang by an older boy, who was living in Gomba district.

He confessed that at first, they only used to break into people’s houses, but later became organised robbers and murderers.

Big cash from robbery, murders

To become a member of the gang, he said, one had to undergo training in martial arts and boxing. But even when a member had such skills, he had to work out in the gym at least three times a week to keep in shape. Their bosses reportedly pay for their subscription at unnamed gyms.

“We carried out all sorts of jobs, which included breaking into factories and mobile money shops, which work throughout the night. We did not spare fuel stations. We also broke into farms,” Muwonge narrated.

He said they once broke into Best Mutima Animal Feeds shop in Natete and walked away with millions of shillings.

“The owner of that shop used to leave huge sums of money in the shop, until we broke into it and robbed everything,” he said.

But before the shop was robbed, Muwonge, who already wanted to quit the squad, said he tipped the Police about what was about to take place, but did not take him serious.

“I wanted the Police to deploy at the shop, where I would feign ignorance and hand myself over,” he said.

As part of the deal, the other members of the squad would be arrested. And true to his word, the robbery took place. When Saturday Vision contacted Nickson Kakeeto, the owner of the shop, he admitted that he was robbed and he reported the matter to Natete Police Station under file number SD ref 05/9/12/2011.

Muwonge said prominent people, who had land and business wrangles also hired the squad to finish off their opponents.

“On the days when our missions went wrong and some of our colleagues were lynched, our leaders would offer us bonuses to keep our morale high,” he said.

‘I want to live a normal life’

Muwonge is willing to volunteer information leading to the arrest of the gangs

“I want to come out of this business because I am tired of killing. I want to live a normal life. Whenever my mother comes to see me in jail, she cries and castigates me. She complains that I have made her a laughing stock in the village.

“But my colleagues, including my own brother, who is also in the trade, strongly object to my decision and want to kill me, saying I betrayed them. I am willing to volunteer any information to crack down the gangs. I met the Police chief, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura and confessed to him. He directed Andrew Kaweesi, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, to follow up my case, but nothing has been done,” he said.

The crime chief of Katwe Police Station, Ronald Bogere, said he knows about Muwonge’s case, but could not give details.

“I have been here for only three months, so I do not have the details. However, there is a commission investigating the matter,” he said.