Boda boda murder: Police drop charges against three lookalike suspects

John Bosco Mugisha aka Mukiga (centre) was arrested on July 16, 2019 on allegations of killing a boda boda rider, Derrick Muwonge Mulindwa on June 30, 2019. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, confirmed Mugisha’s arrest in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The Special Investigations Division (SID) has dropped charges against three lookalike suspects who were arrested in connection to the murder of a boda boda rider at Kakyeka, Mengo, Rubaga Division in Kampala.
The three were picked up on suspicion that they could have been behind the murder of Derrick Muwonge Mulindwa on June 30, 2019.
Mulindwa was strangled before he was hit on the head several times by two robbers posing as passengers moments after he had dropped them off.

The entire scene was caught by a CCTV camera on a nearby building. The footage went viral on social media when it was released to the public.
As a result, police picked up three suspects on suspicion that they were behind Mulindwa’s murder.
However, Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, says SID has dropped charges against the trio since the prime suspect, John Bosco Mugisha aka Mukiga was picked up on Tuesday.

He says investigators at SID have since delinked the trio from the crime, saying they will be released since they have nothing against them.

The Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, confirmed Mugisha’s arrest in a statement issued on Wednesday.

He explained that Mugisha was picked up from his hideout in Nsiike I, Ndeeba, Rubaga Division, in Kampala following a tip off.

Upon arrest, Mugisha reportedly disclosed that he and his friend, Young Mulo (not the music artist) were the ones who strangled Mulindwa.

Asked on what basis they picked up the lookalike suspects, Enanga said their arrest came after members of the public volunteered information regarding Mulindwa’s murder.

“When those videos came out, we rallied the public asking for any information about those who appeared in the footage. About three different sets of contribution came from the community. There was nothing tangible connecting these other suspects to that incident. Now that we have the prime suspect and since there's very clear accountability for the accused persons who were behind that gruesome murder and robbery, they (look alike suspects) are now delinked from the case unless there's any other criminal attachments,” Mr Enanga said.