Driver arrested for knocking dead police constable

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have arrested a driver who knocked dead a police officer in Kabalagala, a Kampala city suburb on Sunday evening. The Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire identifies the suspect as Haman Rujjumba.

He is accused of knocking to death police constable Bosco Owili, attached to the Field Force Unit at Kabalagala police station. Rujjumba was driving a BMW registration number UAP 122Z when he knocked Owili who was riding a motorcycle registration number UP 7965 Yamaha along Ggaba road near Kampala International University while on official duties.

According to eyewitness statements, the suspect who was speeding dragged the police constable under his car for ten meters from the first contact and fled into hiding. A team of police officers led by the acting commander, Kabalagala police station rushed to the scene where they identified the deceased constable’s body and recovered a police motorcycle and an AK47 gun with a damaged magazine.

“The deceased body was conveyed to the city mortuary for a postmortem. However, at the scene, police said they recovered some exhibit, including the suspect’s vehicle which is waiting for inspection,” Owoyesigyire said. He says police mounted a manhunt for the suspect who was found hiding at Rock clinic in Church zone, a stone throw away from the crime scene and arrested him.

Preliminary police findings show that the driver who is not among the essential workers had almost knocked other officers at one checkpoint in Kansanga as he drove past them before the fatal incident. According to Owoyesigyire, police subjected the suspect to a breathalyzer test and found him to have taken alcohol above the lawful limit.

Security personnel have either been killed or injured while enforcing COVID-19 preventive guidelines since the pandemic broke out in Uganda. Last week, a mob lynched a boda boda cyclist in Katwe after stabbing and seriously injuring a police officer while enforcing the COVID-19 guidelines.

Owoyesigyire said the deceased stabbed constable Ismail Menjar, who was enforcing the nighttime curfew after impounding his motorcycle registration number UDM 2772M at Kibuye road junction along Entebbe road.  Last year, a motorist knocked a traffic officer at Namanve along Kampala-Jinja highway. Constable Innocent Ayesigye died at Rubaga Hospital where he was admitted.

The same year, police in Kibuku district also arrested a retired Foreign Affairs official, David Etuket for allegedly knocking dead a traffic officer on duty at Tirinyi village along Mbale-Tirinyi highway among others.

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