Kagadi, (UG): The Territorial Police in Kagadi District have arrested one Tibihikira Stephen, the driver of the government vehicle which tragically knocked dead one of the area residents during their protest against the poor state of roads in the western Uganda district.
Tibihikira,38, while driving the government vehicle at a very high speed, knocked and killed on the spot the demonstrator in a harrowing incident that happened on Monday, February 26, 2024, around 08:00 am at Iguruka in Muhorro Town Council, Kagadi District.
SP Julius Allan Hakiza, the Spokesperson of Albertine Region Police identified the deceased individual as Magezi Tuhaise, 25, and the implicated vehicle, attached to Kagadi DLG, which was en route to the scene where the demonstrators had gathered when the fatal accident happened.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the area LCV chairperson and his team responded to assess the situation. However, a vehicle he was travelling in, registered as UG 6998M and belonging to the District Health Office, driven by Tibihikira Stephen, a Kagadi local government driver, was travelling at high speed when it struck and killed Magezi Tumuhaise, 25, a resident of Rwenzori Cell, Kayanja Parish, Mayirirwe Sub-county, in Kagadi District,” Mr Hakiza said in a police statement on Tuesday morning.
Despite fleeing from the scene after the incident, Hakiza confirmed Tuesday that Tibihikira had been successfully apprehended and will be charged before the court for causing the death of a civilian.
“The victim’s body was conveyed to the mortuary. Community members are encouraged to seek intervention from relevant authorities for amicable solutions to their issues rather than resorting to unlawful assemblies and illegal demonstrations,” Mr Hakiza stated.
The regional police spokesman also said they had arrested 12 people accused of leading a demonstration over the government’s failure to tarmac roads and urged the public against falsely accusing the district chairperson.
“We urge the public to refrain from politicizing the issue and falsely accusing the district chairman. It is important to note that the driver is a Kagadi District staff member, simply doing the job he is employed for,” Hakiiza told journalists on Tuesday.
He further clarified that the vehicle involved in the road crash was attached to the Kagadi District Health Office but not the district chairman Yosia Ndibwami, who was the occupant in the car at the time of the road crash.
DailyExpress understands that the demonstration had been organized by residents of Muhoro, Bwikara, and surrounding areas, and a group of boda boda riders protesting deteriorated roads and the government’s failure to tarmac the 31-kilometre Muhorro-Ndaiga Road that connects the district to Lake Albert.
The chairperson of Boda Boda Riders in Muhorro Town Council, Mr Joseph Akugizibwe, who was one of the lead demonstrators on the day told this website that the demonstration was a peaceful one as they tried to show their frustration with the poor state of roads in the area.
He emphasized that “The government through UNRA to tarmac the road but over the years, nothing has been done. We are really disappointed.”
The deceased’s elder brother, Mr Magezi Akugizibwe, expressed disappointment, shifting the blame on their area leaders for failing to address the community’s concerns and resorting to tragic measures.
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