CID Director Grace Akullo takes over Rukutana gun case

State minister for Labour, Mwesigwa Rukutana, nnatched a gun from his bodyguard. PHOTO/COURTESY

BY MONITOR TEAM

T he Director of Criminal Investigations, Ms Grace Akullo, had by yesterday camped at Mbarara Regional Police headquarters to oversee the investigations against State minister for Labour, Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana, who is accused of attempted murder.

Ms Akullo was ordered to move from Kampala to Mbarara by Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth-Ochola.
Ms Akullo and her team of homicide experts yesterday reviewed Rukutana’s case file and other files on the violence committed during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries in Ntungamo, Isingiro and Ibanda districts in western region.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson, Mr Charles Twiine, confirmed that Ms Akullo is directly supervising Mr Rukutana’s case, adding that she will also oversee other similar cases of violence committed in western Uganda during the NRM elections held last Friday.

“The CID director is giving guidance and supervision on how the investigators should professionally carry out their tasks in regard to Mr Rukutana’s case. She has also visited Isingiro District, where criminal incidents were reported and reviewed the files,” Mr Twiine said yesterday.

Mr Rukutana and his escorts were arrested last Saturday on allegations of shooting and injuring Mr Dan Rweiburingi Kiriyo in an election brawl. The victim was admitted in critical condition. His vehicle was also damaged in the incident.

The victim is a supporter of Ms Naome Kabasharira, who defeated Rukutana to take the NRM flag for Rushenyi County parliamentary seat in Ntungamo District. Mr Rweiburingi, standing on the Forum for Democratic Change party ticket, contested against Rukutana for Bushenyi parliamentary seat in 2011 and 2016 but lost.

By yesterday Rukutana was still in custody at Mbarara Central Police Station (CPS), where he was transferred from Ntungamo last Saturday.

The deputy Police Spokesperson, Ms Polly Namaye, had said in a statement last Saturday that Mr Rukutana was being held on charges of inciting violence, attempted murder by shooting and malicious damage.

“He is detained at Mbarara Central Police Station with his three bodyguards. The driver was released,” the Rwizi Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Samson Kasasira, said yesterday.

Eye witnesses recall scene
Eyewitnesses said the incident happened in Ruyonza Village in Rubaare, Rushenyi, around 11am last Friday.
Mr Rweiburingi and colleagues reportedly found agents of Mr Rukutana distributing money to voters at Ruyonza polling station. They confronted the agents who then called Mr Rukutana.

The minister reportedly arrived in a convoy of about eight vehicles. Together with his bodyguards Mr Rukutana allegedly confronted Mr Rweiburingi and his group and warned them.

A heated exchange ensued. Mr Rweiburingi and his groups entered his Rav 4 to leave, but Mr Rukutana reportedly asked his bodyguards to shoot at them. Eyewitnesses said the body guards declined and he went to his car and picked a gun but was restrained by his female aide who took back the gun.

In further hostile exchange, Mr Rukutana reportedly grabbed a gun from one of his police escorts and shot two tyres of Rweiburingi’s vehicle.

They ran out of the vehicle and in the process Mr Rweiburingi was shot and he fell down. Mr Rukutana and his group drove away from the scene.

Ntungamo District Speaker Elijah Atuhaire welcomed Mr Rukutana’s arrest and detention.
“This was a preventive arrest intended to guard against retaliations and more chaos and damages. To me taking him away to another area was okay,” Mr Atuhaire, who also is a councillor for Rugarama Sub-county in Rushenyi, said.

He added: “Elections in Ntungamo were generally peaceful but there were places where the Opposition participated. The party has been infiltrated. There are 10 cells in Rushenyi, where voting did not take place. We are preparing a petition so that people in these areas are also allowed to vote.”

In the election results declared by the NRM district registrar, Ms Maria Mirembe, at around 5am yesterday, Ms Kabasharira polled 24,006 votes while Mr Rukutana got 23,966. Mr Bob Karabayi came in third position with 2,266 votes, Mr Nicholas Niwahereza (1,202) and Mr Norman Kashereka (346).

Compiled by Perez Rumanzi, Alfred Tumushabe & Elly Katahinga, Andrew Bagala