No clues about killers of Mityana senior police officer five days later

His body was found near one of the front tyres of his car parked about 500 metres from his home at Mayirye Village in Kakindu Sub County, Mityana District. Nuwagaba’s gun was also found near his body. The deceased was reportedly traveling from a wedding ceremony, about a kilometre away from where he was killed.
Earlier reports had suggested that Nuwagaba died in a car accident but detectives said it was suspicious, given that there were no blood stains in the car.

According to Ms Racheal Kawala, the Wamala regional police spokesperson, the investigating officers are still looking for clues to facilitate their inquest and arrest.

“The hunt for IP Nuwagaba’s killers has intensified and our detectives are still gathering crucial information. No suspect has been arrested yet, but soon we will get the killers,” she said in telephone interview on Tuesday afternoon.  

Nuwagaba’s body was first taken to Mityana General Hospital for autopsy, but was later on Monday transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a second post mortem exercise.

Kawala said she was yet to get the results of the second postmortem although the body was on Monday handed over to relatives for burial in Ntungamo District in western Uganda.

15 suspects pending court trial

In another incident where two other police officers; Corporal Alfred Oketch and Constable Moses Kigongo were killed by unknown assailants on December 7, 2021 at Sebobo Village, Ssekanyonyi Sub County, Mityana District, police arrested over 15 suspects.

The suspects were arrested after the police sniffer dog led them to their home where there was also a bar.

Ms Kawala said they are still holding the suspects who will be screened soon before they arraigned in courts of law.

“We are still holding them [suspects] and we shall screen them as we go on with our investigations,” She said. The deceased two police officers had gone to respond to a crime incident at Sebobo Village when they were attacked. The assailants disarmed the victims and made away with two guns.

Related attacks, guns taken

Relatedly, police on Monday said they have registered four serious incidents of senseless attacks on security personnel, in the areas of Busunju, Wakiso, Soroti, and Mbarara in the last four months.

“A total of six security personnel (04 police officers and two LDUs) were attacked.  All the four police officers were murdered while the two LDUs escaped with serious injuries. Out of the six guns robbed, only two have been recovered, and efforts in place to recover the four remaining guns,” police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga said on Monday.

“The public should know that ambush attacks and theft of guns from security personnel is an extreme form of violence, and can be life threatening.  Although, the motives are not yet clear, but the fact that guns are robbed, we believe, the theft and acquisition of guns as a major factor,” he added in a statement.

According to him, the top police leadership has also reviewed the incidents of attacks on security personnel and come up with additional measures on how to reduce the violent attacks on officers.

“Remember these are officers who had dedicated themselves and committed their lives to serving the public under whatever situation.  They run towards danger, respond to disturbance calls in order to safeguard the community.  Therefore, any attack on security personnel, is an attack on the community and that is why we call upon the community in Busunju and Soroti, to cooperate with us and avail information on threats to officer safety and that which can lead to the recovery of these guns,” CP Enanga added.