Nagirinya killing: Police reveal new accounts

The four suspects arrested over the killing of Maria Nagirinya and her driver have told investigators how the victims were kidnapped in Lungujja suburb and transported to a scene in Takajunge in Mukono District where they were brutally murdered. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The kidnappers drove Nagirinya’s vehicle and sped off towards Busega Community Centre and at 12:55am, the vehicle was captured on CCTV as being driven by Kasolo.

The four suspects arrested over the killing of Maria Nagirinya and her driver have told investigators how the victims were kidnapped in Lungujja suburb and transported to a scene in Takajunge in Mukono District where they were brutally murdered.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga yesterday told journalists that two more key suspects in the twin murder are still on the run but have been identified and are being pursued. He declined to reveal their identity.
“We have the identity of two other people who were part of the murder. One of these was behind the plot with Kasolo Kopriano,” he said.

Nagirinya aged 28, who was a manager with Community Integrated Development Initiative (CIDI), an NGO in Kampala, was kidnapped on August 28 and killed alongside Ronald Kitayimbwa, a driver she hired to drop her at her home in Lungujja, Kampala.
Their bodies were found by residents in Nakitukuri swamp in Mukono on Kayunga Road.
Mr Enanga said the suspects Kopriano Kasoro, aka Arsenal, Johnson Lubega, aka Etoo, Hassan Kisekka, alias Masada, and Nasib Kalyango, alias Muwonge, are being held for murder.
He said the suspects opened up to police last week as detectives reconstructed the scene and trail of crime.

A few hours before the kidnap, Ms Nagirinya had visited her aunt in Nalumunye. Upon a request by her aunt, Kitayimbwa drove Nagirinya to her home in Lungujja.
Nagirinya and another aunt left Nalumunye with Kitayimbwa.
Her aunt was dropped at Nsambya hospital at about 10pm, and Nagirinya and her driver proceeded to Lungujja.
At 10:50pm, Nagirinya called her sister at home to open the gate for her but she was kidnapped as she approached the entrance.

Sombre. Police detectives remove the bodies of Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa at Nakitutuli village in Mukono District on August 30. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi


The kidnappers drove Nagirinya’s vehicle and sped off towards Busega Community Centre and at 12:55am, the vehicle was captured on CCTV as being driven by Kasolo.

“It was Kasolo, the man who was seen in a white shirt and red jacket driving Nagirinya’s car who got the deal from a gentleman whom we have identified but is still on the run. Kisekka was the one who hired the two boda boda riders to take the suspects to Nagirinya’s home,” Mr Enanga said.
Kalyango, a boda boda rider, together with another unidentified rider transported the suspects to Nagirinya’s gate in Lungujja at a fee of Shs130,000 each.

“After ferrying the killers, Kalyango remained at the gate and witnessed whatever happened,” Mr Enanga told journalists.
He said the case files for the four suspects had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. He did not say when the suspects would be charged in court.
Initially, police had arrested seven suspects but three were later released.
They included Mr Ivan Makanga, Mr Bwire, a boda boda rider, and Ms Ayebare whose husband had claimed he knew the whereabouts of Nagirinya.

Mr Enanga said police were also looking for another boda boda rider who the kidnappers allegedly contacted to participate in the kidnap but declined the deal.
“He knew of the suspects plan to kidnap someone but he abandoned the deal. He then concealed the information from security,” Mr Enanga said indicating police desire to arrest the rider for concealing information on crime.
“We shall get the motive of the murder after arresting one of the suspects on the run,” he added.

The four suspects recorded extra-judicial statements last week, recounting their alleged role in the murder and how the scheme was executed.
Last week, police detectives led the four suspects to various places where they allegedly went during the transit of the victims to reconstruct the crime scene.
Mr Enanga said the suspects had been medically examined and their mental status ascertained as normal to stand trial.
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