How abducted Ronald Kitayimbwa met his death

It was the normal come-pick-me up call that Ronald Kitayimbwa usually received and never hesitated to respond to from residents of Jomayi Estate in Nalumunye, Kyengera Town Council in Wakiso District.
Kitayimbwa, a boda boda motorcycle taxi rider, also regularly earned some extra money by putting his driving skills to serve Nalumunye estate residents.
So nothing seemed odd when he received a similar call on the fateful Wednesday night.
Kitayimbwa’s nephew, Ronald Sempebwa and a fellow boda boda rider, says Kitayimbwa was called by a client they identified as Sylvia Nakayenga, also known as Maama Cindy, and sometimes referred to as Maama Vianney, to drive her sister home because she was not feeling well.

Side job
Kitayimbwa was usually hired by mostly women in the estate to drive children to school because he had a driving permit.
“He was called by one of our customers who stays in Bandwe to drive her sister [Maria Nagirinya] home. This was not the first time, she often called us to driver her home, and I have also ever driven her home,” Mr Sempebwa narrates.
“I met him [Ronald Kitayimbwa] close to 11pm, as I was going to park by motorcycle and he told me he was going to Maama Vianney. I told him it was wrong for him to go home and come out to go and work, but he insisted on honouring the call,” Godfrey Senoga, a boda boda rider at Lebrone Supermarket stage in Jomayi Estate at Nalumunye, says.
Mr Sempebwa says he tried to talk out Ronald Kitayimbwa from going because he had just returned from Kasese on Tuesday and seemed tired from the long journey from western Uganda.
“I asked him [Ronald Kitayimbwa] how he was going to get back home at such an awkward hour, but he was determined to go. I felt I was wasting time, so we rode to Maama Vianney’s place and when we arrived at the gate, Kitayimbwa asked me to hoot and I hooted. I drove off as the gate was opened for him,” Mr Senoga narrates.
Whenever Kitayimbwa drove Nagirinya home, his brother, Lawrence Kitayimbwa, would accompany him but this time, Ronald went alone.
His colleagues think he was working rather hard because he had a set of four-month-old twin boys he had to feed alongside his three other children.
“He died because of his humbleness, you cannot call me out at such an odd hour of the night and I come out, especially when I have retired home,” another boda boda rider identified as Sebastian, chips in.
But Sebastian, who is more talkative than the rest and one of those who rode to the scene where the late Kitayimbwa’s body was found, is not contented with the conduct of Kitayimbwa’s customer.
“Yeyamuyise ate bwebatuuka okugamba polliisi nti abantu bawambidwa teyayogedde Ku Kitayimbwa, afazaali yandize wanno ku sitegi natutegeza,” loosely translated as: “She is the one who called him, but they did not tell the police that she (Nagirinya) had a driver with whom they were kidnapped, at least she ought to have come to the stage,” Sebastian said, describing the customer’s conduct as reckless.
Boda boda riders say Nagirinya was just a friend and not a sister and they think she has more to explain about the death of Ronald Kitayimbwa, because Nagirinya was being driven home in a state of drunkenness.
“Even the parents think she [Nagirinya] was kidnapped while returning from work, but she left work and came to Nalumunye. And they got drunk in the house from where Ronald Kitayimbwa picked her up for the fateful journey,” Sebastian said during the vigil on Friday evening.
Boda Boda riders and residents of Jomayi Estate at Nalumunye lit a bonfire at the entrance to the estate next to Lebrone Supermarket from where they raised money from motorists to help in burial expenses. Another vigil was held at Ronald Kitayimbwa’s home about 500 metres from Lebrone Supermarket next to the police barracks.
From the scene, the bodies were driven to Mukono police and the boda boda colleagues were told to pick up the bodies from the city mortuary after clearing with Kibuye Police Station.

Describing the scene, Sebastian said they were told by residents that bodies are commonly dumped there.
“He must have fought, he had a broken right hand and had been hit on the right eye. He must have fought with them before he met his fate but they must have overpowered him,” Mr Sebastian said.
Ronald Kitayimbwa was introduced to Jomayi Estate at Nalumunye by his brother, Mr Fred Bwankya from Mpigi District, where he was a car washer and started riding a motorcycle. Sometimes he would be seen driving a small Isuzu tipper lorry or driving different cars.
He built a house in Jomayi Estate at Nalumunye where he lived with his family.
Kitayimbwa was born to Experito Matovu of Kalubanda village in Kibinge in Masaka.
Tentative programme shows that boda boda colleagues planned to pick up the body from the city mortuary yesterday, with burial set for today at Kibinge in Bukomansimbi District.

A chauffeur at Nalumunye

Ms Agnes Namaganda a resident of Nalumunye says Kitayimbwa has been a friend to all in Nalumunye. He rode many on his bodaboda but also would drive anyone who wanted because he was also a driver.

 “Two weeks ago, I sold off my automatic car and I have not been too excited to learn the manual car so I needed help which he has been offering,” Namaganda says.

In the entire neighborhood, families spoken to said that at least non hasn’t been chauffeured by the late bodaboda rider.

“We trusted him because of his good conduct. He has had several children to drop at school. He would drop many of us to work whenever we would not move with our cars. He has been such a wonderful man,” Namanda says.

In Nalumunye, he has been known as a born again and a committee man of God.

“He has been attending fellowship at Zoe Grounds. He wouldn’t miss unless he had clients to ride even as far as Masaka,” Namaganda says.

Namaganda says that Ronald recently became a father to twin boys but he has some other two or so children.

“The last time we talked two weeks ago, he had just dedicated his twins at Miracle Center Cathedral, where he was fellowshipping and he said Pastor Kayanja got really excited about his twins” Namaganda says.

Kitayimbwa had an admiration for children in his neighborhood because of his strong relationship with God.

“He was a very humble man. The last time he drove me, I felt a bit guilty because he had to call another friend to help him drop his own children to school,’ a neighbor said.

Neighbours said that he was fond of his family.

His cousin, Elizabeth Nakkazi said that Kitayimbwa was a responsible father and every evening, you were likely to run into him at the supermarket shopping bread and milk for his family.

“He has been everyone’s option for a ride or drive me to the venue,” she said.

“It is sad that Ronald's life has been lost just like that. We have lost a humble loving man who has been beneficial to our community”

Most residents describe him as an exceptional and trustworthy person committed to his job. “We condole Nalongo and the kids. Our thoughts and prayers to all the bereaved. May his good lord protect you? Rest in peace Ronald,” Namaganda said.

Family

Nalongo Nakawuki says they have been together for close to ten years. They have twin boys aged four months and an eight year old P.3 child; another aged 6 is in Top class. Another in Baby class is 4years old.

He will be buried at Kalubanda- Kibinge in Masaka tomorrow.