Eight remanded over murder of South Sudan businessmen

Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded eight men to Luzira prison over murder of two South Sudanese businessmen in a hotel at Arua Park in Kampala injuring another person.

In a session presided over by magistrate Esther Nahirya, the group appeared and they were read four charges including murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery.

The suspects are; Nelson Oribitunga, Patrick Monday and Jacob Chothembo, all security guards working with Saracen Private Security Company; Innocent Gumisiriza a driver, Deus Kanyomozi and Daniel Namara, both businessmen. Other accused persons are; Nicholas Mugisha, a salesman and Abdul Karim Kabano, a businessman.

After reading the charges, Ms Nahirya, did not allow the accused persons to take plea, noting that their case will be heard before the High Court, since the charges against them are capital in nature.

Prosecution contends that on August 15, 2018 at around Arua Park, Ben Kiwanuka Street in Kampala, the accused and others still at large, robbed Shs1,865,000 and $3,400 (about Shs12m) and before or after the said robbery used a pistol to kill Mohammed Abdallah and Ibrahim Bakhit.

On the count of attempted murder, the state alleges that still on August 15, 2018 at Juba Hotel in Kampala, the accused persons attempted to cause the death of one Robert Owachigiu.

According to Police reports, Arua Park is one of the areas in the city centre that have several incidents of violent crimes because there are several traders that move with large sums of cash.

Criminals often target the unsuspecting victims very early in the morning and late in the evening when buses have dropped passengers from northern Uganda and South Sudan.