Police cautions public on New Year celebration

As the country prepares to usher in the New Year Police has cautioned the public to avoid over speeding and to remain vigilant both at home and places of festivities.

 Speaking at the last press briefing of the year at the Central Police Station on Friday, Police spokesperson Emillian Kayima told journalists that trends in the past years have shown that people majorly die from road accidents and homicide that can easily be avoided.

Kampala Metropolitan Police alone registered 10 deaths during last year's New Year celebrations in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts. The deaths, all road accidents, were attributed to recklessness.

"Whereas we went through Christmas smoothly, we started registering reckless accidents on highways and murders on (Boxing Day) 26, 27, 28 and 29," Kayima said, adding that in the last four days, police registered 12 fatal accidents and four murders throughout the country.
Accidents
Kabale
  There was a head-on collision between a Toyota Hiace registration number UBA 274U and a Toyota Raum registration number UAU 460W in Katunda-Kabale-Mbarara road where three occupants of the vehicles died on the spot.
However by press time, Elly Maate, the Kigezi Police spokesperson said 2 of the 14 passengers who had sustained injuries in the same accident, died at Kabale hospital. They included Ariana Nyana a two months old baby and three year old Clinton Asaba.

The occupants of the Raum were members of the same family of Edgar Akampa from Rwakirunndura, Buyanja in Rukungiri district, who were travelling to Kabale.
The other dead include Jolly Tibahwerwayo, an aunt to Akampa and Arien Itungo, 3, a daughter to Akampa as well as Edison Barinabo from Kanyeganyege cell, Kasekye parish Kamwezi sub-county in Rukiga.

Serere
 On December 27, another accident claiming three people occurred at Ochapa, along Ochapa-Soroti where a driver of a Toyota Spacio registration number UBB 970K knocked a tree.

 According to Police and eye witnesses, the driver identified as Martin Ekom, 32, was over speeding. The dead include 29 year old Tino Masa, a resident of Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, her five year old daughter only identified as Geminar and another five year old girl called Mary Alako.

Both the driver and two other victims are currently in Soroti hospital, undergoing treatment. They include Susan Amuge, 27 and eight year old Nicole Alako. 

Lira
On December 28, a Pastor, his wife, mother and a maid were killed in a car accident on Lira Dokolo Highway, 4km outside Lira town.

 Pastor Johnson Enamu, 45, of Truth Fountain West, his wife Alice Apolot Enamu, 44, his mother Alice Nora Atim, 87, and  one Sarah Angom, 25, a house maid died on the spot when the Toyota Rav4  registration number UAJ 119C rammed into a stationery tipper lorry loaded with timber.

According to eyewitnesses, the timber loaded on the lorry that inflicted the severe damage, slashed the heads head of the car occupants. One person identified as Lydia Apolot reportedly survived with injuries and is currently admitted at a Guantanamo Bay medical centre for treatment.

Murders
Mukono
Police on December 29 discovered a body of one Susan Kisingiri in her home in Mukono district. Preliminary investigations according to Kayima indicate that the assailants could have tricked the deceased into going home and murdering her subsequently. The area police discovered the body three days after the incident occurred.

Mbale
 In Namisinga village in Mbale district, Police discovered the bodies of 21 year old Ivan Nabiso, 24 year old Miriam Namwenge and 72 year old Peter Nahawesa. Whereas Nahawesa's murder is still mysterious, Police said Namwenge was murdered after being gang raped while Nabiso committed suicide after a love affair went wrong.

Mubende
  A businessman known as James Mulalira was on December 28 attacked and robbed by three plain clothed armed men carrying machine guns who parted with large sums of money at Kalambi trading centre in Kiganda Sub County, Mubende district.  Police has since intensified the search for the suspects.