Three gangsters confess to murdering district chairperson, SFC soldier

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three gangsters arrested by Crime Intelligence over the vicious murders in western Uganda have confessed that they strangled a Special Forces Command-SFC soldier in April this year.

Assistant Superintendent of Police-ASP Charles Twine, the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID spokesperson said the trio, Alleluia Bernard, Deus Tumuhimbise and Herbert Mutamba, have told investigators that one of their first victims was Hannington Twinomugisha who was strangled on his way from Kyenjojo to Kampala.

Crime Intelligence arrested Alleluia, Mutamba and Tumuhimbise after Closed Circuit Television-CCTV cameras captured a Toyota Wish car UAZ 658T used to abduct and murder Ntoroko district chairperson Jefferson Kabagambe.

Upon interrogation, the trio confessed to having killed Kabagambe and dumped his body in Ibanda district. They also revealed that they abducted and murdered Melesi Nabisinde and Fred Kaggwa. Kaggwa was found in Mbarara heading to Lwengo and the trio convinced him that it was a special hire vehicle heading to his destination.

Nabisinde was also lured in the same way in Ibanda soon after she had withdrawn 5 million shillings. They also duped her that it was a special hire vehicle heading to Mbarara which was her destination.

When CI got the shocking revelations, it was decided that they needed homicide detectives to interrogate them further. It has since emerged that Mutamba, Alleluia and Tumuhimbise strangled the soldier in April and others who are still nursing injuries in Kampala and Mbarara hospitals.

Security says the group has successfully been executing their missions by disguising as special hire or public taxi operators. Unlike in Kampala where 14 passenger vehicles are known for public service, in western Uganda, small cars like Toyota Wish, Spacio, Premio and Raum are the most common means of public vehicles. This, police say has given criminals chance to execute their missions since people have little suspicion.

ASP Twine said that investigators have established that the soldier, Twinomugisha was strangled in a Toyota Wish UAZ 049U and his 1.5 million shillings was taken. However, security is puzzled by the fact that although they have Alleluia, Mutamba and Tumuhimbise in custody, robberies and strangulations using small cars have not stopped.

Two days ago, another man identified as Francis Besigye was strangled on his way to Lyantonde. Like the previous victims, he was also hoodwinked that it was a taxi heading to Lyantonde coming from Mbarara.

In order to stop the vicious crime, ASP Twine and other security agencies have called upon the authorities to quickly brand all public taxis. In addition, Ugandans have been warned against accepting lifts and boarding any vehicle whose driver claims is a taxi.

“These people committed the crimes in different parts,” Twine said. “They started from Rwenzori region, went to Rwizi and some crimes were in Lwengo. We are puzzled as to where to charge them. We also think of arraigning them in the court martial since we have recovered 32 bullets from their homes.”

Security records show Alleluia and Mutamba were arrested over similar murders in 2009. Court convicted them to only eight years in 2013 and they finished their sentences early this year.

Now the group started from where they had stopped.

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