83 yr old FDC chief remanded over Col. Muzoora Murder, sent to Luzira

Court on Wednesday sent Mr William Mukaira, the 83-year-old FDC chairman of Bushenyi District, on two week’s remand in prison.
The sickly Mr Mukaira joins more than six individuals who are on remand in Luzira Prison over the death of a renegade army officer, Col. Edison Muzoora.

Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate John Patrick Wekesa set July 20 as the date for mention of Mukaira’s case. Mr Mukaira, who was arrested in June, appeared in court moments after he was discharged from Mulago Hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for about three weeks.
He was charged with murder, a capital offence which attracts a maximum sentence of death upon conviction.

“You can apply for bail through the High Court,” held Mr Wekesa.
Prosecution alleges that Mr Mukaira and others still at large, on May 25 with malice aforethought, caused the death of Col. Muzoora.
Mr Mukaira was driven to Luzira Prison despite pleas by his lawyers that their client was unwell.

At the time of his arrest, Mr Mukaira was one of several FDC members, arrested by the military intelligence officers alongside Dr Aggery Byamaka, an FDC officer in Mbarara Municipality.

Col. Muzoora’s body was dumped at his home in Kyabugimbi, Bushenyi District, on May 27. He was on government’s wanted list of people suspected to be behind the shadowy People’s Redemption Army rebel group that has been linked by the State to certain opposition leaders, including FDC president Kizza Besigye, who denies the association. Col. Muzoora was believed to be living in exile at the time of his death.

Six others behind bars
On June 27, six people arrested following the death of Col. Muzoora were charged with treason after some of them had been held incommunicado for two weeks.

They included former soldier Didas Atunga-Bantu alias Col. Bendera Iddi Kibwama; Boniface Mumbere Kinyambila alias Ivan Musinguzi, a development analyst in Kasese; Abel Kacwano Kazoora, a retired solider in Bushenyi; and Aggrey Byamaka alias Happiness Akasigazi, a pharmacist in Mbarara.

Others are Simon Matte Mwesige, a builder in Hima Town Council in Kasese, and Esau Muhwezi alias Tugumisirize Rwafafa, a businessman in Kasese.
Meanwhile, it emerged that FDC youth leader, Francis Mwijukye, is also wanted by the police over Col. Muzoora’s death.

FDC youth leader wanted
Mr Mwijukye who allegedly met Dr Byamaka before the latter’s arrest, is accused of having information that could help police investigations into the matter.

Mr Mwijukye, currently attending training in South Africa, told Daily Monitor yesterday that police searched for him at the home of FDC official Michael Kabaziguruka where he was staying and left a notice that he should report to police when he returns.

“I used to speak to Dr Byamaka because he was my doctor. He actually treated me when I was teargased by the police during the walk-to-work campaign,” he said. “That did not mean that I had any knowledge of Muzoora’s death. The police went to Kabaziguruka’s home looking for me and told him that after the late Col. Muzoora’s death, Dr Byamaka made four phone calls and that one was to me.”