Prime
Man with septic wounds seeks justice two years after assault
Victim. Mr Willy Ssekimpi displays the wounds on his right leg that he claims he sustained when he was assaulted. PHOTO BY DAN WANDERA
What you need to know:
- Mr Richard Ssendese, the chairperson of Lutuula Village in Butuntumula Sub-county, in an interview said the arrest and torture of Mr Ssekimpi surprised the residents because they had known him as a hardworking individual.
- Mr Joseph Ssewankambo, 55, a resident of Lutuula Village, claims that he was among the residents who tried to meet Mr Ssekabira after one of their own had been arrested and imprisoned for allegedly stealing 10 cows but their efforts were frustrated when Mr Ssekabira told them that he wanted Shs36m before the suspects are released.
Willy Ssekimpi, 38, a husband and father of three children, has been reduced to a life of begging for survival.
He carries septic wounds on his right leg, which he claims he sustained as a result of an alleged assault.
Mr Ssekimpi accuses Mr Dennis Ssekabira, a resident of Luweero Town Council and former Nakaseke South MP aspirant in the 2016 General Election, of beating him up and inflicting on him injuries. Ssekimpi was accused of stealing 10 cows from Ssekabira’s kraal.
Mr Ssekimpi alleges that Ssekabira beat him up as some police officers looked on.
“I was later arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges of stealing cattle and remanded to Butuntumula prison, but surprisingly, I was released after four months as the case failed to take off.
The other suspect, Fred Nayishenga, with whom Ssekimpi was arrested, succumbed to bodily injuries inflicted on him through the beatings, only four days after his arrest. He died as he was being transported from Kasana Health Centre to Mulago hospital in Kampala on November 16, 2017.
“It is unfortunate that a man who beat me up and caused the current situation that has left me maimed due to the septic wounds on my right leg did not follow up the case but later tried to reach out to my family members, claiming he had just decided to allow me to go free because I could not raise the money to pay back his cows that went missing at his kraal.
In an interview with this newspaper, Mr Ssekabira acknowledged he had lost 10 cows on his farm and that the case was handled by the court in Luweero.
But he dismissed claims that he had assaulted Mr Ssekimpi.
“I do not know about the case of assaulting Ssekimpi. That man was arrested and taken to court. I do not know how the case ended. You can inquire from the court and get the facts. I arrested him because he stole my cows and the rest of the case was handled by the court. The cows were valued at about Shs36m.
“Those people could not raise that money to pay for my lost cows. I do not understand his interests after we managed to get him out of prison,” Mr Ssekabira said on Saturday.
Interestingly, while a case files against Mr Ssekimpi were traceable at Luweero Central Police Station in 2017, and another at the Luweero Chief Magistrate’s Court, that of the late Nayishenga and complainant Ssekabira reportedly disappeared from the records office.
Mr Ssekimpi claims that efforts to have his case against Mr Ssekabira registered have been frustrated by some police officers.
“I fear to go to Luweero Central Police Station, fearing that I will be re-arrested and thrown back into jail for a case that failed to take off when we were released after four months of detention. I appeal to authorities to help me get justice from Mr Ssekabira, who is now using the police officers to intimidate me and ensure that I do not speak about my condition.”
But Mr Ahamed Musakana, the Luweero District Police Commander, told the Saturday Monitor that he was not aware of that particular case.
“It seems they have not registered such a case here,” he said.
Mr Richard Ssendese, the chairperson of Lutuula Village in Butuntumula Sub-county, in an interview said the arrest and torture of Mr Ssekimpi surprised the residents because they had known him as a hardworking individual.
“We later mobilised as residents to have Ssekimpi bailed out from prison but the court frustrated our efforts. The court demanded that we pay Shs5m cash for the court bond and we could not afford. We kept visiting Ssekimpi until we eventually heard that he was to be released,” he said.
“He was reunited with his family after spending four months in prison. I cannot speak about the beatings, but Ssekimpi sustained wounds that have not healed. He needs help,” Ssendese told Saturday Monitor.
Mr Joseph Ssewankambo, 55, a resident of Lutuula Village, claims that he was among the residents who tried to meet Mr Ssekabira after one of their own had been arrested and imprisoned for allegedly stealing 10 cows but their efforts were frustrated when Mr Ssekabira told them that he wanted Shs36m before the suspects are released.
“When we turned up to stand surety for Ssekimpi at Luweero court, the magistrate demanded Shs5m cash to have him released. We could not raise this money. Our concern was that Mr Ssekimpi was sick and had developed wounds that needed to be treated. God heard our prayers after Mr Ssekimpi was released in February, 2018, after four months in prison. We appeal to well-wishers who can help Mr Ssekimpi get treatment,” Mr Ssewankambo said in an interview.
“The residents at Lutuula Village, including our area local council leaders, were surprised that Mr Ssekabira singled out a person who was not working at his kraal but simply because he knew one of his herdsmen who stayed at the same village.
But Mr Ssekimpi still waits for justice nearly three years later.
“I used to move long distances for charcoal businesses but my condition has ended all that. I did not get treatment for serious wounds that I sustained when Mr Ssekabira together with a man who used to be his bodyguard only identified as Kayingini assaulted me.
“I need justice, even though some police officers in Luweero have advised me not to pursue the case, claiming it will revive a case that was closed by courts of law. I doubt whether this is the right way for justice when criminal acts against innocent citizens are handled,” Mr Ssekimpi says.
