Series 3: Kayihura explains why Baroza scooped Kaweesi's blood

Oct 31, 2018

Kayihura admitted that part of the voice in the conversation appeared to be his, but was “voice-shopped”. Kayihura, according to the report, said he got the news of the death of Kaweesi from Baroza and he later called Muhangi.

The late Andrew Felix Kaweesi and Gen. Kale Kayihura

CRIME INVESTIGATIONS POLICE

Following investigations by Internal Security Organisation (ISO), former Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura and a number of senior Police were arrested in connection with the assassination of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP), Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

 Kayihura, arrested on June 13, was later charged before the General Court Martial on charges of failure to protect war materials and aiding and abetting kidnapping of refugees. On the day Kayihura was arrested, the National Security Council (NSC) sub-committee commissioned a joint investigation to review the evidence presented by ISO on the Kaweesi murder.

Kaweesi was gunned down in March 2017 near his home in Kulambiro, a Kampala suburb, together with his bodyguard, Kenneth Erau and driver, Godfrey Mambewa.

 

Officers implicated

Gen. Kale Kayihura

Col. Ndahura Atwooki (former director Crime Intelligence)

Lt Col. Peter Musherure (formerly Kayihura's aide),

ACP Herbert Muhangi (former Flying Squad Unit (FSU) commandant

SSP Richard Ndaboine (former head Cybercrime Unit)

ASP Patrick Muramira, IP Peter Ayebare (manager Digital Forensics)

Jonathan Ayebazibwe (Kayihura's personal assistant)

Detective Constable Judas Tadeo Opendi (bodyguard to former Kayihura aide Jonathan Baroza)

SPC Abbey Kitagenda (FSU)

Martin Kimbowa (Witnesses Protection Unit)

Moses Kasiba

Wilson Atekateka.

SSP Nickson Agasiirwe (formerly head of Special Operations Unit)

Sgt. Abel Tumukunde

SPC Faisal Katende (FSU)


























There were other officers implicated and interviewed, but were not detained. These include; CP Frank Mwesigwa, the former commander Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP), SSP Emilian Kayima, the Police spokesperson, and ASP Joseph Bakaleke.

ACP Jonathan Baroza, also implicated in the murder, is still at large. According to the report, after Kayihura and other suspects were arrested, they were interrogated by the joint security team composed of officers from the Police, ISO and the Chieftaincy of Military Police (CMI).
Each gave their defence elaborately documented in the report.

KIMBOWA
Kimbowa, 25, said at the time Kaweesi was murdered, he had an assignment he was following with one Jajja, a son of late Zigoti. Kimbowa said on the March 16, 2017, he moved to Nalufenya with Jajja and later they moved together to different places.

He went back to his home in Nabweru at around 5:00pm. He said when he was at home, Jajja called him, informing him that over sh20m had been stolen from a depot in Mubende and he needed his involvement.

At 6:00am on March 17, 2017, he left Kampala for Mubende with Jajja and arrived at around 11:00am. He said he got the news about Kaweesi's death while on his way to Mubende. Kimbowa said in the meantime, he was receiving phone calls from a one ‘Sobi', urging him to stop working with the Police and join him in ISO or else suffer like other arrested Police officers.

Kimbowa said he was subsequently arrested by ISO on June 14, 2018, and detained in Kyengera. In detention, Kizza Rwogamutyarize, in the presence of Sobi, alleged that he (Kimbowa) was involved in the planning, surveillance and murder of Kaweesi. He said Sobi later urged him to implicate Muhangi and Kayihura in the murder of Kaweesi and threatened him with dire consequences if he refused to co-operate. Sobi allegedly told him there was a reward of sh4b from the President if they succeeded in identifying the Kaweesi killers. Kimbowa denied participating in the murder of Kaweesi.

GEN. KAYIHURA
During the interrogation on camera and statement recording, Kayihura flatly denied any involvement in the planning and murder of Kaweesi. The team played to him a recording purportedly of his conversation with Muhangi about the murder.

In the recording, Kayihura purportedly asks Muhangi; "Is Andrew Felix Kaweesi dead?" who allegedly replies; "Oh yes, yes, it is done." "Thank you very much," Kayihura is alleged to have stated in the recording. During interrogation, Kayihura said the recording was fabricated and voice-shopped, denying having ever participated in that conversation.

However, Kayihura admitted that part of the voice in the conversation appeared to be his, but was "voice-shopped". Kayihura, according to the report, said he got the news of the death of Kaweesi from Baroza and he later called Muhangi. He also got information about the scooping of blood-stained soil from the scene by Baroza. The blood was purportedly scooped so that it is taken to Mombasa to a sheikh who would prevail over the killers to be arrested.

But Kayihura advised Baroza to drop the idea and go scientific.

MUHANGI
Muhangi, 47, said in the early morning of March 17, 2017, while at his home at Kasokoso, Wakiso district, received a telephone call from then IGP Kayihura, informing him about the death of Kaweesi. He directed him to mobilise his personnel to begin tracking down the killers.

Muhangi said he immediately proceeded to the scene at Kulambiro, where he found Kayihura interacting with some of the witnesses. He said he, Baroza together with two witnesses, plus the scene of crime officers (SOCO), dressed in white SOCO suits to access the scene.

He said this was intended to conceal the witnesses from the public and to avoid contaminating the scene. Muhangi denies ever attending a meeting at Kati Kati Restaurant with other suspects as alleged by Rwogamutyarize. He said the only meetings he had ever attended at Kati Kati Restaurant was for Rukoni Secondary School old boys and the preparatory wedding meeting for Mwesigwa.

Muhangi said he has never used a satellite phone in his life. He further denied ever hiring motorcycles from Ndeeba for any operation, whether private or official. Muhangi said he does not know of any hotel called Sheron in Kasubi and he denied ever meeting Rwogamutyarize and Frank Difas Nnyindo. On the voice recording, Muhangi said it was not his voice. But he said one voice in the recording resembled that of Kayihura.

AGASIIRWE
Agasiirwe, 47, formerly head of Special Operations Unit, said he started associating with Police as an operative during Operation Wembley between 2001 and 2006. In 2007, he was recruited into the Uganda Police Force as a Special Police Constable and later promoted to a rank of Assistant Inspector of Police.

Over the years, he was promoted through the ranks to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in 2016. He said he learnt about the murder of Kaweesi in the morning of March 17, 2017 from a one ACP Omara with whom he was attending an intermediate command course at Police Senior Command and Staff College at Bwebajja.

He said he and his roommate Ndaboine were given permission by the college chief instructor SSP Barbra Alungat to travel to the scene at Kulambiro, where they found other officers. Agasiirwe said on March 19, 2017, he got information from one contact commonly known as Minana (Abdul Semujju) arrested on other cases by CMI) that he knew the killers.

The contact insisted that he would only share the information with the President. Kayihura, Agasiirwe and Minana later met the President at Nakasero State Lodge, where Minana alleged that one Lt Musisi was responsible for the murder. Agasiirwe denied knowledge of Rwogamutyarize. He denied ever attending any meetings with Rwogamutyarize or any of the other suspects to plan the murder of Kaweesi.

He said the Special Operation Unit offices were located within Kololo, but closed in November 2016 and the building handed back to the owner. Agasirwe said he has never lived in Kololo and that his home is in Kiyinda zone, Kira Municipality. He said he has never used a satellite phone in his life, but once recovered one during an operation.

Lt Col Musherure
Musherure, 43, a UPDF officer under the Chieftaincy of Personnel and Administration (CPA), said he started working with Police in 2005 when Kayihura was appointed IGP and was his security officer. He first came to know and work with Kaweesi when the latter was appointed Personal Assistant to the then IGP. Musherure said he received information about the murder of Kaweesi on the fateful day at around 10:00am while at home in Naalya Estates, a Kampala suburb. One Albert rang him and informed him about the murder.

He said he rang some of his contacts for possible leads, and in particular Musa and Muko Hassan, who later claimed that the plot for the murder of Kaweesi took place at the home of Sheikh Kalule in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb, and was attended by, among others, Agasiirwe.

Musherure said his two contacts insisted that they could only disclose the details of the meetings to Kayihura. The two subsequently met Kayihura through Ambrose Murunga and he (Musherure) was never told what transpired in the meeting. He denied any involvement in the murder of Kaweesi.

He said he never went to Kaweesi's vigil, requiem mass and even burial.

Emilian Kayima
Kayima, 44, said on March 17, 2017, at about 9:45am, he received a message through the crime reporters' WhatsApp forum about the murder of Kaweesi. He said he telephoned the late Erau and Kaweesi, but their phones were off. He then called Mwesigwa, who confirmed that Kaweesi had been killed.

Kayima explained that he proceeded to Kulambiro and at the scene, he managed the media. He said he had never seen or dealt with Frank Difas Nnyindo, either at the scene or at Sheron Hotel in Kasubi. 

Ndaboine
Ndaboine, 36, at the time acting commissioner Cyber Crime Department Forensic Services Directorate, said on March 17 2017 at around 9:00am, while he was at Senior Command and Staff College Bwebajja, heard the news of the death of Kaweesi. He joined Agasiirwe in his car and they travelled to Kulambiro.

He said he arranged a meeting between Agasiirwe, a one Minana and Kayihura. Ndaboine said his unit (cybercrime) analysed all electronic exhibits that were associated with the murder case with exception of two handsets, which belonged to Kaweesi, which were pin-locked and required superior tools to handle them.

He denied ever participating in any planning meeting to murder Kaweesi.

Bakaleke
Bakaleke, 38, said he learnt of the death of Kaweesi on March 17, 2017, at around 9:00am while in his office through a call from someone who wanted to confirm the news. He said he tried to call the deceased, but nobody was answering the phone. He then cross-checked with other officers who confirmed the death.

Bakaleke said he proceeded to Kulambiro and found the scene cordoned off. He denied knowledge of Rwogamutyarize or ever attending any meeting with him at Indigo Bar or Kati Kati Restaurant.

Ayebare
Ayebare, 34, said on March 17 2017, he got to know about the death of Kaweesi from a colleague called Esther Kia. Ayebare proceeded to Kulambiro from Kasangati. He said the Cyber Crime Unit was looking for close circuit television (CCTV) camera systems near the scene along Kisaasi Road, where eyewitnesses had said was the escape route for the killers.

He said they went to the supermarket near the scene, where there was a CCTV camera. But they discovered that the camera was not recording and footage was not retrieved. Ayebare said his team recovered electronic exhibits and did imaging and analysis of phones recovered from witnesses and victims, but failed to crack the password of the two phones of Kaweesi due to lack of superior tools in their department. He denied ever participating in the murder of Kaweesi.

Kitagenda
Kitagenda, 35, attached to Police's FSU, said on March 17, 2017, he received a phone call from a Detective AIP Ahimbisibwe, informing him that Kaweesi had been shot dead in Kulambiro. He said he was instructed to link up with Ahimbisibwe to proceed to the scene. But he did not see Ahimbisibwe and played no role at the scene.

Kitagenda said later, he participated in operations in Bugiri, Tororo and Malaba, where several arrests were made. Upon instruction from Agasiirwe, he arrested Lt. Musisi Galabuzi. Kitagenda said following rumours that he was wanted in connection with repatriation of Rwandan refugees and the murder of Kaweesi, he escaped to Dubai.

On his return, he was arrested by ISO operatives. He said while in detention, Rwogamutyarize was brought and he alleged that he (Rwogamutyarize), Kitagenda and others participated in the murder of Kaweesi. Kitagenda denied ever attending any meeting with Rwogamutyarize or any other person to plan Kaweesi's murder. He said Rwogamutyarize had previously given information about illegal guns being transported to a certain house in Namugongo.

When an operation was conducted and a vehicle in which the guns were being transported was intercepted by his FSU team, it was established that the alleged gun traffickers were security guards from SWAT security group.

During interrogation, the group disclosed that it was Rwogamutyarize who had mobilised them for a robbery mission in Namugongo.

Katende
Katende, 40, said he learnt of the death of Kaweesi from a journalist. He also said after he was released on bail, one Mwanje took him to Mutundwe at the Serene Suites Hotel, where he was introduced to Ragga Dee (Daniel Kazibwe), who in turn introduced him to Kaka.

Kaka allegedly pressurised him to accept that he drove Muhangi to the meeting at Kati Kati Restaurant to meet Kayihura and other officers planning the murder of Kaweesi. Katende said Kaka promised him monetary rewards and to exonerate him from the charges at the General Court Martial in Makindye if he accepted to implicate the officers.

Katende said he refused to implicate the officers falsely and was arrested and detained. He denied involvement in the murder of Kaweesi and others.

Mwesigwa
Mwesigwa, 38, said he was the Commandant Kampala Metropolitan Police at the time of Kaweesi's murder. Mwesigwa said on March 17, 2017 at about 8:00am, he left his home in Kiteezi heading to Naguru Police Headquarters. On the way, he received a call from Baroza, informing him that he had received information that a Police vehicle along the Kulambiro-Kisasi road was being shot at and he (Baroza) suspected the vehicle to be that of Kaweesi.

Mwesigwa then proceeded to Kulambiro, where he found the official vehicle of Kaweesi in the middle of the road with the engine still running and the lights and indicators on. He said he looked into the vehicle and saw Kaweesi, his bodyguard and driver all shot dead.

He, subsequently informed the then IGP, Kayihura and his deputy, Martin Okoth Ochola. He also passed on the information to the DPC Kira Road Police Station, Dr Byaruhanga, and Muhangi. The IGP (Kayihura) and other officers, according to Mwesigwa, went to the scene, where they remained until the evening after the bodies had been taken to the mortuary.

Mwesigwa denied having ever met or dealt with Rwogamutyarize, but admitted meeting a Difas Frank Nnyindo (witnesses to the murder) two days after the murder. He says Nnyindo claimed that the killer guns were being kept in a house in Kajjansi on Entebbe Road.

He said he took Nnyindo to Kayihura in Naguru for further management. He denied ever attending any meetings at Indigo Bar or Kati Kati to plan the murder of Kaweesi. He said the only meeting he attended at Kati Kati Restaurant was for his wedding in January 2017.

Col. Ndahura
Ndahura, 58, a UPDF officer, said a week prior to the murder of Kaweesi, his technical intelligence detected sleeper cells of Allied Defence Forces (ADF) becoming active and concentrating around the Police headquarters and Namugongo. Ndahura sought permission from Kayihura to embark on disrupting them.

But through regular engagements with deputy CMI chief Brig. Isoke, Ndahura was allegedly advised not to proceed with the operation as it may jeopardise the bigger plan to deal with the enemy (ADF). Ndahura gave the feedback to Kayihura and embarked on gathering more intelligence to assist in making a comprehensive brief to CMI authorities and come up with a bigger plan about the matter.

"On Wednesday March 15, 2017, during the meeting of the Policy and Advisory Committee (PAC) held at Police headquarters and attended by directors of Police chaired by IGP (Kayihura), he alerted them about the threat and advised them to be cautious of their security," the report quotes Ndahura as saying during interrogation.

On the same day, Ndahura left for Masindi to attend the burial of his eldest brother, Edward Kisembo. In the morning of March 17, 2017, Ndahura learnt about the murder of Kaweesi through the media and returned to Kampala immediately after the burial. Ndahura denied any participation in the planning and murder of Kaweesi. He said he did not know where Kati- Kati Restaurant is and denied ever giving money to Christine Mbabazi (Kaweesi's mistress) to spy on Kaweesi.

Opendi
Opendi, 32, said at the time of the death of Kaweesi, he was the bodyguard of Baroza. On March 18, 2017, at around 4:00pm, Baroza instructed him to go to the murder scene and scoop blood-soaked soil and take it to him at Kembabazi Restaurant in Naguru.

Opendi said when he was scooping the blood-soaked soil, someone saw him and alerted Assistant Inspector General of Police Fred Yiga, who ordered for his arrest. After Yiga got an explanation from Baroza, he offered his official vehicle to transport him and the blood-soaked soil to Baroza at Kembabazi Restaurant.

The blood-soaked soil was taken to Baroza, who handed it over to a one Alui, who was also at Kembabazi Restaurant with Baroza.

Kasiba
Kasiba, 46, said on the morning of March 17, 2017, while at his home in Kisigula, Wakiso district, he noticed he had 27 missed calls. Some of the calls were from Jaffar Kisubi, Abdul Semujju alias Minana, and a one Aloysius, an FSU operative.

When he called Kisubi, he was informed that Kaweesi was dead. He then went to Central Police Station to meet Kisubi, where they were joined by Aloysius, who requested that he goes with him to Kulambiro. He said he turned down the request because he needed Muhangi's clearance, but Muhangi was not picking his calls.

Kasiba said his driver, one Musa, was arrested by ISO operatives. He contacted one Lt Juuko on phone, who advised him to report to ISO or face arrest. He said he went to ISO's safe house in Kyengera where he met Lt Juuko and Eddy Magombe.

They reportedly ordered him to prepare for them reports about the murder of the late Joan Kagezi, Kaweesi and Susan Magara. He said he wrote a report on the murders that was sent to one Ssekajja, who forwarded it to Kaka and he was set free.

However, he was later re-arrested by ISO operatives led by one Bukomero and detained in Kyengera.

Muramira
Muramira, 42, said on the morning of March 17, 2017 at around 9:45am, he received a call from one Bosco, a crime preventer, who informed him that Kaweesi had been shot dead and the news was on television. He said Kaweesi was his close friend as he had been chairperson of the organising committee for his wedding in August 2015.

Muramira said he rang Agasiirwe and went to Kulambiro. On August 9, 2018, while at home at about 7:30am, he was arrested on allegations that he participated in the murder of an Eritrean (names withheld). He said the murder allegations were fabricated by Lt Musisi, who had threatened him with death.

Atekateka
Atekateka, 46, said he learnt about the murder of Kaweesi through social media while he was in Kagadi with Robert Turyahabwe and Herbert Ahimbisibwe. He said on June 22, 2018, after he got bail from Nakawa court, he was arrested by ISO operatives led by one Kaberenge and detained at Kyengera. He was questioned about the rape and murder of women in Entebbe. Another group headed by Lt Juuko questioned him about a meeting in Naalya, where the guns alleged to have been used to kill Kaweesi were delivered. The other suspects Ayebaza and Tumukunde both denied any involvement in the murder of Kaweesi.

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