I saw the assailants who killed ASP Kirumira – eyewitness

KAMPALA, UGANDA: An eyewitness on Tuesday told court that he saw the assailants who shot dead the late Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Muhammad Kirumira as the trial of the suspects linked to the murder commenced this week.

While giving his testimony before High Court Judge Margaret Mutonyi at the High Court in Kampala, Abdul Kigongo, a driver informed court that on the fateful day, he had just by-passed and greeted both Kirumira and Nalinya in the car at about 8:00pm before seeing four men riding on two motorbikes shooting at them.

Testifying under the guidance of Assistant DPP Thomas Jatiko, Kigongo told court that he saw one of the shooters rotating around Kirumira’s car firing at it while the others were shooting in the air to scare people who would have come to their rescue.

However, when asked if he had seen the identity of the shooters, Kigongo replied in the negative saying he could not as they were hooded and it was at night.

Kirumira was murdered in cold blood together with mobile money dealer Resty Nalinya Mbabazi in the city suburbs of Bulenga on the September 8, 2018.

Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe have been indicted with the murder and are standing trial over it.

On the other hand, Dr. Moses Byaruhanga and Dr. William Mutumba confirmed that the duo died of gunshot wounds on September 8, 2018.

Further evidence from police also states that Kalungi confessed to the murder of Kirumira and Nalinya who was a mobile money agent operating and staying in Bulenga in Wakiso district. 

In the said confession statement that the DPP has relied on at the trial, Kalungi a resident of Mirimu Zone in Ndejje Sabagabo -Makindye is said to have led the investigators to the crime scene in Bulega and explained to them how he had been there before and during the shooting

Evidence further shows that Kalungi led the investigators to the home of one of the ADF suspects Abdul Kateregga at Namugoona- Luyinja whom he implicated as being the master minder of the murders.

Kalungi had been hired by Mwebe and Kateregga to trail Kirumira’s car which he later spotted at Northern -by pass and informed the killers.

However, Kateregga was also shot at and killed by investigators as he allegedly tried to evade arrest in October 2018.

Court documents indicate that Kalungi and Mwebe were arrested after police trailed their movements and communication between places of Mpigi, Gulu and Namungoona through Mobile phone data.

Kalungi was arrested from his mother’s place in Mpigi and he allegedly told his co-suspects that he had gone into hiding at his mother’s place because he didn’t get what he was promised to be paid.

Both Kalungi and Mwebe have  now been returned back on remand as hearing still continues for the remaining 6 witnesses.

Prosecution alleges that the accused persons were found to be linked and in constant communication with ADF operatives who are believed to have orchestrated the killings on the deceased on September 8, 2018.

The duo pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder in 2019 in a criminal session at Wakiso Court before Kirumira’s father complained and asked for the case to be transferred and heard in Kampala.

Court has set Thursday this week for further hearing.