Arrested Boda boda rider admits knocking Cheeye dead
What you need to know:
- The detectives were able to get a CCTV footage from the nearby petrol station that showed Cheeye being knocked and Kirya fleeing the scene.
- Mr Moses Eliau, the commander of Jinja Road Police Division, said the number plate of motorcycle was also shown.
KAMPALA. A Boda boda rider has admitted knocking dead veteran journalist Teddy Seezi Cheeye in Nakawa Division, Kampala City.
Rogers Kirya, 32, was arrested on Wednesday by police officers from Kinawataka slum, Nakawa Division, where he has been hiding.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Mr Luke Owoyesigire, said Kirya is detained at Jinja Road Police Station over reckless driving causing death.
“He has recorded a statement and has admitted committing the crime. We shall take him to court soon after the Resident State Attorney has sanctioned the charge,” Mr Owoyesigire said.
According to Traffic and Road Safety Act 1998, any person who causes bodily injury to or the death of any person by the driving of a motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant recklessly or at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, is dangerous to the public or to any person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of not less than seventy-five currency points and not exceeding two hundred currency points or imprisonment of not less than two years and not exceeding five years or both.
Cheeye, a former director of economic monitoring in Internal Security Organisation, was knocked dead on March 1, 2018.
Kirya told police that on the fateful day, he was riding from Kampala to Spear Motors junction where he operates from.
“When the traffic lights signalled green, I rode, but I didn’t see anyone crossing until he had rammed into my motorcycle and we all fell down. I was helped by people I didn’t know to get off the road,” Kirya said.
Thereafter, he said, those who helped him led him to his motorcycle and told him to flee.
“I had even failed to start my motorcycle, but they kick-started it and pushed me onto the motorcycle and said leave right away. I don’t know that I had knocked someone dead,” he said.
By the time police arrived at the scene, he had already fled and the cyclists around didn’t help police trace him.
The detectives were able to get a CCTV footage from the nearby petrol station that showed Cheeye being knocked and Kirya fleeing the scene.
Mr Moses Eliau, the commander of Jinja Road Police Division, said the number plate of motorcycle was also shown.
“We traced the owner of the motorcycle and he was in Fort Portal town, Kabarole District. The ownership of the motorcycle had changed four times without official transfer of documents in Uganda Revenue Authority,” he said.
The fourth person to own the motorcycle was Kirya’s brother, who had given it to the suspect to ride it.
Kirya’s brother told police that the suspect had earlier disclosed to him that he is the one who knocked dead the deceased.
