Justice Bamwine’s nephew kidnapped, search still on

Mr Ainea Mugasho, a nephew to Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine who went missing a week ago as he went to work at Nakawa market. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • When this newspaper contacted the OC CID Jinja Road Police Station who only identified himself as Agaba, he declined to comment on the matter, saying he was not authorised to do so.
  • About two weeks ago, another person Mr Mubarak Kalenge, a lawyer of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was kidnapped by gunmen who kept him in confinement and released him severely bruised a few days later.

KAMPALA: It is a week today since the nephew to Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine went missing in suspected kidnap with intention to murder.
Mr Ainea Mugasho, 23, disappeared on Monday last week on the way to his workplace in Nakawa Market in Kampala.
A case of missing person was reported at Jinja Road Police Station.
Mr Mugasho’s whereabouts were still unknown by last evening.
Mr Peter Tumuheki, his elder brother, told this newspaper by telephone yesterday that his younger brother left their home in Naguru suburb at 6am for work in Nakawa Market but never reached his destination.

Calls to his number
He said when they called his mobile phone number, the suspected kidnappers told the family that the person they were looking for is dead. He added that the suspected kidnappers asked him to search for his body at Mulago hospital mortuary, hang up.
“When Brian Mutatina (their other younger brother) called Mugasho’s cell phone number, he heard him screaming in the background. He was saying its his money killing him and the phone went off. We have never heard from him again,” an emotional Tumuheki narrated.
“We have since searched at every police station in Nakawa Division and at Mulago mortuary but he is nowhere,” Mr Tumuheki said.
The telephone printouts from police show that when the family first called Mr Mugasho’s phone he was along Gaddafi Road in Kampala. The next time they called he was in Lukaaya near Masaka Town.

Speaking to this newspaper last evening, Justice Bamwine who sounded heartbroken, appealed to anyone with information about his nephew to assist the family trace him.
“He is my son. His disappearance is mysterious and I am hurting as a Ugandan and as his uncle.
Anyone with information about him should give it to us or to the OC CID Jinja Road Police Station,” he said.

Not authorised
When this newspaper contacted the OC CID Jinja Road Police Station who only identified himself as Agaba, he declined to comment on the matter, saying he was not authorised to do so. He instead referred us to Mr Emilian Kayima, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson.
Mr Kayima said he was busy at Kololo for the World Cross Country Championship games and needed more time to get details from Jinja Road Police Station before he could comment.
About two weeks ago, another person Mr Mubarak Kalenge, a lawyer of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was kidnapped by gunmen who kept him in confinement and released him severely bruised a few days later.
He was found by police along Salaama Road in Makindye Division, Kampala.