Wabwire remanded to Luzira for killing Indian money lender

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ivan Wabwire, a Police officer who is accused of killing an Indian money lender in Kampala has been sent to prison.

Wabwire appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning, on charges of murder. The Court has heard that on May 12, 2023, at Raja Chambers along Parliament Avenue in Kampala District with malice aforethought Wabwire unlawfully killed an Indian national later identified as Uttam Bhandari Saremal.

Bhandari was the director of TFS Financial Services which regularly offered loans to police officers and other members of the public. But his life was ended when Wabwire shot him over nine times across two intervals shortly after an argument at Raja Chambers in Kampala.

In the aftermath, Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, explained that Wabwire was diagnosed with a mental illness six years ago and that the leadership at Kampala Central police station had taken a decision never to deploy him with a rifle or in situations that demand him to use a weapon.

But early this week, Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga told journalists that the force’s surgeons had examined Wabwire and found him to be of sound mind, implying that he acted with full consciousness, was well-oriented and aware of his activities before ending Bhandari’s life. This has now paved the way for his trial.

Buganda Road Court Chief  Magistrate Sarah Tusiime did now allow him to take a plea because the case against him is capital in nature and will be heard by the High Court.  However, he acknowledged that he clearly understood the charges against him.

The Prosecution led by Joan Keko and Ivan Kyazze informed the Court that investigations into this case are in the advanced stages.

Emerging details show that Wabwire first acquired a loan worth 1 million from TFS in 2020 which would accumulate an interest of  320,000 shillings in 12 months. He acquired a second loan in 2021 of the same amount for the same interest rate and period but this time he defaulted.

It is alleged that at the time of the shooting, Wabwire had gone to ask for a quotation so that the loan could be bought off by an unnamed bank. He returned the killer gun to CPS before fleeing Busia near the Kenyan border from where he was arrested over the weekend.

According to Onyango, Wabwire used a gun that had been allocated to his colleague constable Steven Muromba to commit the crime. Muromba had left the gun in their shared house to attend to his sick child.

But Enanga said Muromba who was arrested last week and detained at the former Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in Kireka has since been dismissed from the force with disgrace and he will also be charged in the Criminal Court with negligence.

Wabwire has now been remanded to Luzira Prison until June 7, 2023, for mention. He faces a death sentence upon conviction.

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