The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Survivors of the shooting involving music promoter Charles Olim alias Sipapa in Kamwokya city suburbs on Saturday last week are demanding for justice.
Two men moving with Sipapa are said to have opened fire when a group of People Power supporters confronted them shortly after parking in front of the premises of Fred Nyanzi, the elder brother of Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the head of the National Unity Platform party. According to eyewitnesses, People power youths attacked Sipapa who was driving a Super custom vehicle registration number UBE 229E and broke his windscreen prompting two men who were driving with him to fire in the air and shops.
Gilbert Mugisha operates a shop on Nyanzi’s building. According to Mugisha, he was serving his customers around 9am on the fateful day when chaos broke out after a group accused Sipapa of threatening to shoot them on various occasions.
He explains that a few minutes later, two men jumped out of Sipapa’s vehicle and started shooting at them directly. Mugisha explains that he ducked for cover and a bullet hit the doorstep of his shop where he was standing.
He says the same group returned around 9pm and parked in the middle of the road and started asking if there is anyone who had wanted to say anything about the earlier incident.
Elizabeth Namagembe, a salon operator says they locked up themselves inside their premises when the shooting started, adding that one of their colleagues collapsed due to the heavy sound of gunfire. Namagembe also notes that no police officer stepped foot in the area until the next day despite the fact that Kira road police is short distance away.
Muzafaru Nyombi, who is nursing a broken leg and wounded eye, says the same group returned on Saturday night and pounced on him as he was planning to return home. They reportedly accused him of being one of the people who attacked them during the day.
According to Nyombi, he opened a case against Sipapa and wants him arrested to answer for assault.
Fred Nyanzi says despite opening a case at Kira road police station, they see Sipapa moving around freely. According to Nyanzi, this is the third time that Sipapa is making a similar attack. “We’re going to mobilize ourselves, all these people who were affected that day to pinch a demonstration at Kira road police, we demand police to arrest Sipapa and charge him,” Nyanzi told URN.
Sipapa has not yet commented as he could neither pick nor return calls to our reporter. The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, says the matter is being investigated. He says police detectives recovered bullet cartridges that will help to establish the owner of the firearm.
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