Family of missing Kiseka mechanic cries out to Museveni

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A family in Makerere-Kivulu zone in Kampala central division has cried out to President Yoweri Museveni to order the release of their son who was allegedly picked up by military police personnel last month.

Twenty-year-old Ismail Ssozi, a mechanic was allegedly picked up together with his colleague Moses Ssenfuka near Kiseka market by personnel from the Kiseka military police detach on January 10, 2021. According to Ssozi’s family and eyewitnesses, the officers beat-up the duo before bundling them on a vehicle.

Ssozi’s sister Nuru Nakiwala says that they were informed by Ssozi’s workmates who followed the van that the two had been dropped at the military police detach, few meters from Kiseka market.

According to Nakiwala, she rushed to the military detach and tried to plead with the officers to release her brother but she was turned away and advised to go home and rest on grounds that they would reunite after the general elections.

Nakiwala notes that before leaving the detach, she saw Sozi and several other people in handcuffs being placed in a numberless vehicle which sped off at a terrific speed.

“I went to the nearby Makerere-Kivulu police post and informed the police officers how my brother was abducted, the two policemen told me to take the matter to Wandegeya police division because they could not handle issues involving the military.”

Alex Ssemujju, a brother to Ssozi says that they teamed up with the area LC I chairperson Muze Ronald and reported the matter at Wandegeya Police station the next morning. The case was entered under SDREF19/08/02/021. According to Ssemujju, they have searched everywhere in police stations including Central police station, Old Kampala police, Wandegeya, Kitalya prison and Luzira for his brother in vain.

“We don’t know whether our brother was killed. It’s now two months since we heard anything about him. We have visited all police stations and prisons, maybe we’re left with the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence –CMI only,” the distressed Ssemujju told URN”

Muze Ronald, the Makerere Kivulu zone LC I chairperson told Uganda Radio Network that Sozi’s colleague Ssenfuka was released along the way on the condition that he relocates from Makerere-Kivule and denounces his support for Robert Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform-NUP former presidential candidate.

“I found Ssenfuka shifting from his room early morning after two days of their kidnap, I asked him the whereabouts of Ssozi. He told me he was released on the way but Ssozi and several others were taken to an unknown place, but his entire body was bruised. He told me they told him never to come back in this area and support Kyagulanyi.”

Both Nakiwala and Ssemujju have appealed to President Museveni to order the release of their brother saying he didn’t commit any offence.

There have been widespread complaints of kidnaps by security personnel in various places of the country mostly the central region prior to and after the January 14 presidential elections. Several people have accused security personnel of moving in numberless minibuses fondly known as Drones for masterminding the kidnaps.

The abductions started two days after the November 18 and 19 nationwide protests triggered by the arrest of Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the former NUP presidential candidate during his campaign trail in Luuka district.

In a televised address on Saturday last week, President Museveni explained that the abducted people are in the hands of government security agencies. Museveni explained that he deployed commandos and intelligence personnel to deal with people who were planning to engage in violence and terror-related activities.

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