Armed robbers kill rice mill cashier in Jinja
A health worker attends to the man who is suspected to be one of the robbers. PHOTO BY DENIS EDEMA
JINJA- A cashier attached to OBK Rice Millers in Jinja Town, has been shot dead by robbers.
Kaweesi Bin Sali was shot at about 7:00pm on Wednesday by armed men who stormed the rice mill premises, according to Mr Asuman Ababiri, an eyewitness.
“They [robbers] entered the office and the workers thought they were looking for someone. Moments later, they shot dead the cashier before taking hostage a female worker and forced her to take them to the manager’s office,’’ Mr Ababiri said. “It is not clear whether they were looking for the manager because after a few minutes, they came back to the cashier’s office and grabbed the woman’s hand bag.”
Mr Lawrence Isabirye, another witness said the two men fled the company premises as several workers fled.
“An accomplice who had a motorcycle was waiting for them. As they tried to jump on the bike, the gun released a bullet which hit the leg of one of the men. The two men abandoned the injured man at the scene as they fled on the motorbike,” Mr Isabirye said.
Ms Sylvia Kitimbo, the woman whose bag was snatched said it contained Shs2 million and two smartphones.
The injured man was taken to Jinja Hospital by good Samaritans who did not know that he was a suspected robber.
After learning that the injured man was in hospital, irate rice mill workers and residents stormed the health facility in an attempt to kill him. They were, however, blocked by police officers.
Jinja District Police Commander, Mr Vincent Irama, said they recovered a gun, a police uniform and some money at the crime scene.
Mr Irama, however, refuted allegations that the injured man, who is being treated as a key suspect, is a police officer.
