Police conducts fresh probe into death of Seeta traffic officer

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Traffic police are conducting fresh investigations into an accident that caused the death of  Innocent Ayesigye, a traffic officer who was knocked by a speeding vehicle along the Kampala-Jinja highway.

Ayesigye was knocked by a speeding motor vehicle on May 24 from Namanve while riding a police motorcycle registration number UP 2164. He was taken to Mulago Hospital but later transferred to Lubaga hospital where he succumbed to the injuries on May 26.

In the aftermath, Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Patrick Onyango posted a picture of a Toyota RAV 4 UAS 597U, claiming it was responsible for knocking Ayesigye and urged the public to help in finding it.

It was later revealed that the vehicle was being driven by Mbale High Court Judge, Jesse Byaruhanga. His bodyguard constable Alex Oduku who was captured on CCTV entering the vehicle was arrested together with the Judge’s official driver, Aminsi Zimba.

The police preferred charges of reckless driving, causing death through reckless driving and failing to report an accident against them. But on May 27, Justice Byaruhanga issued a statement in which he castigated the police force for falsely accusing him.

Byaruhanga said that he only witnessed the accident which was caused by another speeding vehicle.

“Upon approaching Namanve SGA motor vehicle inspection facility about 200 metres from a road CCTV camera, I saw an incoming motor vehicle from Mukono being driven at a very high speed knock the traffic officer who was on the motor cycle,” Byaruhanga said.

The Justice added that Ayesigye who was about 100 meters ahead of him appeared to have tried to dodge a rough part of the road on his side and collided with a speeding vehicle that had also left its part of the lane.

Byaruhanga said after the collision, he saw dust of glasses and fragments filling the the atmosphere and the motorcycle flew to his vehicle on the driver’s side and scratched the vehicle as it rolled passed him.

In order to rule out any doubts, the traffic police investigation unit headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Pamela Kentaro has been directed to conduct fresh investigations. Acting traffic police director, Commissioner Bazir Mugisha said “investigations are still ongoing.”

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