By Kabuye Ronald
The country has faced a number of high profile cases that involves a number of murders including killing of high profile personalities, treason cases, and aggravated robberies among other. However, ever since the current director of Crimes Investigations Directorate AIGP Major Tom Magambo Rwabudongo was appointed into office, there is a consistent change in the way high profile criminality are expeditiously and thoroughly handled to the effect that convincing evidence beyond reasonable doubt pinning the perpetuators is handed to the Office Directorate of Public Prosecution ODPP who is charged with the prosecuting the matter in courts of Law.
The most recent matter is that of the Ndiga clan leader in the Buganda Kingdom and a prominent businessman, Eng. Daniel Bbosa Who was violently murdered by shooting on the 25.02.2024, at around 6pm, in Lungujja Parish, as he was heading to his home in Kikandwa zone. As of March 4th, 2024 the police Spokesperson Fred Enanga updated the country that The Joint Crime Intelligence/CID task teams, in coordination with the KMP territorial team, have in custody 7 suspects, including the hospitalized Lujja Noah, under guard, and Milly Naluwenda of Kisekwa Court, for being part of the suspects. This wasn’t the case before the appointment of Magambo, matters would take years for investigative officers to get links to criminals which led to stall of cases or getting half-baked information hence not serving justice to the victim. Case in point include that of late. State prosecutor Joan Kagezi, late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi, ASP Muhammad Kirumira, several Muslim clerics among others.
In the current case of Late Eng. Daniel Bbosa , the key suspect Lujja Bbosa Tabula, aged 38 , a resident of Kabango village, Kakoola parish, Mutubagumu sub-county, in Mpigi district who is on run has already been identified together with his other 7 suspected accomplices. Accordingly the investigators have full account already of the preparation meetings, planning, acquisition of killer weapon, hiring of killers and execution of the murder which they say will be availed in due course.
Another case in point is that of businessman, Henry Katanga who was shot dead on November 2nd, 2023, allegedly by his 55-year-old wife, Molly Katanga, at Mbuya Chwa 2 road, Nakawa Division-Kampala Capital City.
Katanga’s case has had a number of surprising prosecution evidence and revelations including the arrest and prosecution of his own family members that’s the wife Molly Katanga, the daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanza for allegedly tampering with evidence at the crime scene, rendering it unidentifiable for judicial proceedings. In the same way Amanyire George, a 30-year-old shamba boy, and Otai Charles, a health worker also allegedly assisted others involved in the crime. The evidence pinning these were got in a space not exceeding two months. This matter is ongoing in court.
Another case in point is that of murder of the Masindi District Health Officer the late Dr. Abiriga Jino, on the 7.01.2024, after his body dumped on 50 metres from his house at around 6:30am. In just a space of three days the Directorate of CID in coordination with the Elgon region, Sipi region, Albertine region, Masindi police and the Flying Squad Unit managed to arrest all the suspected involved in this murder including the wife to the deceased Cherotic Betty who is said to hire the killers.
On the 17th, January, 2024, the Masindi Chief Magistrates court remanded three suspects in the killing of Dr. Jino Abiriga, to Hoima government prison.
The remanded suspected killers included Betty Cherotich 31, late Dr. Abiriga’s wife, Joshua Namureng 36, a builder and a resident of Tarobya Village in Bukwo district, and Martin Kipsang 31, a carpenter and a resident of Roruk Village in Bukwo district. They were remanded after the murder charge was preferred against them.
Court presided over by Masindi Chief Magistrate Kosia Kasibayo, heard that on January 7, 2024, the trio with others still at large connived, masterminded and brutally murdered Dr. Abiriga.
The late Dr.Abiriga sustained severe wounds to the neck, head, both hands, and his back.
Passersby found his body near his gate, in Kijura North cell, Central division of Masindi municipality, at around 6 a.m. and promptly alerted the authorities.
Upon receiving information about the heinous crime, the police retrieved the body, which was initially taken to Masindi General Hospital mortuary and subsequently transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination.
How the murder plan was plotted according to police
It was established that the plot to murder the deceased, began after Cherotic Betty learnt about a second relationship, her husband had with Atuhura Suzan in Masindi. As a result she hatched a plot t kill her, the first attempt was by setting fire on her house, which was put off by the neighbours.
Again, on the 11.12.2023, she hired Kipsang Martin at a cost of Ugx 2.5m, to help her kill her co-wife, And on the 18.12.2023, the suspect Kipsang travelled to Masindi, after receiving a deposit of Ugx 500,000= , to kill Atuhura Suzan. The murder plot failed, on the 18.12.2023, after the intended victim, failed to appear at the location, that they expected her to be.
It was as a result of the two failed murder plots against her co-wife, that she shifted and plotted to murder her husband, whom he accused for the death of their first born, the miscarriage of their twins, and for constantly insulting her as a bad performer, sexually. She therefore, tasked Kipsang Martin, to find a second person, to help her murder her husband. On the 26.12.2023, Kipsang together with Namureng Joshua, came to accomplish their mission, which failed after the Doctor, woke up and closed the door, upon hearing some movements outside which had been left open by his wife.
The two contract killers returned to Bukwo, and returned on the 6.01.2024, after much pressure from Chesang, for them to execute their mission. They travelled from Bukwo and reached Masindi around midday and booked at Valentine Guest House. She alerted and invited them to the house, them when her husband was deep asleep. The suspects were armed with two huge hand hoe sticks and a knife. They found when Betty had opened the gate, and she led them to the bedroom, where her husband was sleeping. They hit the victim with hand hoe stick on the head, and dragged the body to the floor, where they slit his throat with a knife, killing him instantly. The 3 suspects cleaned the dead body, dressed it in a red T-shirt and blue trouser, carried it on a small ladder and dumped it 50 metres away, from his house.
The two male suspects returned to Valentine Guest House, where they dumped the blood stained clothes in a pit latrine and left Masindi Municipality at 5:30am. Both Kipsang Martin and Namureng Joshua were tracked down, arrested from Bukwo and transferred to Masindi, for further court action. All 3 suspects admitted to having participated in the murder and the scenes reconstructed. Several tangible exhibits were recovered, which included; two hoe handle were recovered from Bulyasojo cell, shoes of the deceased, black sports bag, clothes of the suspect, a bag retrieved from the latrine with a pillow cover, mopping rug, work ID for the deceased, and other blood stained clothes. All samples were submitted to the Forensic Directorate for further analysis.
The above highlighted cases portrays the extra ordinary tactics applied by the Crime Investigation Directorate under the stewardship of its Director AIGP Major Tom Magambo Rwabudongo in coordination with other relevant security organs to arrive at a conclusive, un doubtable evidence.
It should be noted that on the 26 January 2022, president Museveni promoted Internal Security Organization’s (ISO) Dr Tom Magambo to the rank of Major and appointed him Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate of the Uganda Police Force, literally he has spent in office one year and about two months but he has caused effective, thorough, innovative and result oriented operational change in the investigations directorate.
It should be noted that after his appointment, AIGP Maj Tom Magambo emphasized the need for training of detectives which saw all heads of the Criminal Investigations Directorate, deputy directors, heads of department, and regional CID officers taken for refresher courses. Also several mid- level CID commanders underwent training.
AIGP Magambo also made several changes in the directorate by removing older detectives and reverting them to general police but also replaced by younger blood.
In September, 30, message to all Regional Police Commanders and Divisional Police Commanders in Kampala Metropolitan Area, a total of 47 detectives at the rank of inspectorate and 355 at other ranks were replaced. The affected detectives none was transferred to another area in Kampala Metropolitan Area but rather taken outside Kampala. This is believed, he did to fight corruption since those moved to upcountry stations had overstayed in Kampala,
Before AIGP Magambo’s appointment, President Museveni had on many occasions blasted CID officers for bundling up cases because of corruption, bribe and lack of patriotism where CIDs are not bothered about the suffering of the people but rather influenced by money. This seems to have been addressed by Magambo.
AIGP Magambo also emphasizes the Role of Technology in Modern Criminal Investigations.
With the ever-evolving landscape of criminality and law enforcement, technology has become an indispensable partner, profoundly shaping the methods and outcomes of criminal investigations to which the police is now embracing which most probably is also helping them in data analytics, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and pursuit truth.
If the police CID department remains on course, may be the victims of criminality will always get served and country will see a reduction in the crime rate.
