Notorious rape suspect arrested over new case
Rearrested. Baker Walusimbi with prison warders
What you need to know:
- Last month, President Museveni said soldiers who were killing people in Kampala in armed robberies had been convicted and sentenced by the Court Martial, but they appealed to civilian courts and were released on bail only to repeat the same crimes.
- However, courts have continued to give suspects of capital offences on bail on account that it’s their constitutional right.
The police yesterday said a notorious criminal suspect, who was released on bail by the High Court in October last year on charges of rape, robbery and murder, has been arrested again over similar crimes.
Baker Walusimbi reportedly offered two ladies a lift in his car from city centre on November 8 but along the way on Entebbe Road diverted them to a secluded place where he allegedly robbed them at gunpoint, the same way he reportedly committed similar crimes against women in 2005.
By the time Walusimbi was released on bail by court last year, he had spent 12 years on remand on charges of kidnap, rape, murder and robbery of university female students between 2002 and 2005. He was released on Shs20m non-cash bail by Justice Yasin Nyanzi after his trial collapsed at the stage of judgement when the assessors disappeared without trace, prompting the High Court to order a retrial.
Walusimbi was charged with four counts of robbery and three of murder of Moreno Nalubule, a Senior Six student of Makerere College School, Jacqueline Najjombwe and Maria Katasi, both residents of Najjanankumbi on Entebbe Road in 2005.
Walusimbi allegedly repeated same old and traditional criminal habit against two women this month.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesman Luke Owoyesigyire yesterday confirmed Walusimbi’s arrest. He said on November 8, Walusimbi, driving a private car, stopped at a stage at Railway Grounds in Kampala and offered a lift to three waiting women travelling to Entebbe side.
The stage is not a gazetted bus stop but is popular especially among low income passengers travelling to Entebbe who always gather there to wait for private cars heading to the same direction.
“He drove the three women and when he reached Seguku on Entebbe Road, he branched off to an isolated area. He put the three women at gunpoint and ordered them to hand over their property and money,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
He added that the trio pleaded with Walusimbi not to kill them.
“He warned them that if they reported to police, he would pursue and kill them. His victims agreed to his terms. He later released them and ordered them to run as fast as possible without looking behind,” Mr Owoyesigyire further explained.
Two of the victims reported to Lubowa Police Station on Entebbe Road and the investigations started.
The detectives retrieved CCTV footage at the Railway Grounds which showed the women boarding Walusimbi’s car on that fateful day.
“The car registration number UBF 640V, a Toyota Wish, was identified and the owner tracked down. The owner identified the person who was driving the vehicle on that day as Walusimbi,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
Police also retrieved and reviewed other CCTV camera footages along Entebbe Road which also confirmed that the three women were occupants of the same car up to the scene of crime.
Police tracked Walusimbi for many days until his luck ran out and he was arrested while walking leisurely near the Central Police Station Kampala on Saturday.
Detectives positively identified him as the same person who was released on bail in the cases of murder of several women in early 2000s.
Upon the arrest, police raided his home for a search. The search at his home in Kisugu suburb in Kampala Industrial Area, yielded some properties which the women had reported to have been stolen from them by Walusimbi. The victims also identified the property as theirs.
Mr Owoyesigyire said Walusimbi will be charged with aggravated robbery.
“Two of his victims have recorded statements. We are looking for the third woman to give us her statement. Detectives are still looking for the firearm the suspect is said to have used in the robbery,” he said.
President Museveni has often castigated the courts and police of releasing suspects of capital offences on bail or bond.
He has consistently asked the Judiciary not to release such people until their prosecution has been concluded.
Last month, President Museveni said soldiers who were killing people in Kampala in armed robberies had been convicted and sentenced by the Court Martial, but they appealed to civilian courts and were released on bail only to repeat the same crimes.
However, courts have continued to give suspects of capital offences on bail on account that it’s their constitutional right.
Criminal record
In early 2000s, Walusimbi used to allegedly target university female students in bars.
According to police records, he would give the unsuspecting female students lifts in his car and later rape them and kill them. He would then sell off their property, according police records.
It took months for police to track down Walusimbi and recorded statements from more than 20 witnesses. On January 26, 2006, Walusimbi was arrested.
The trial was concluded and only waited for the court assessors Janet Nandudu and John Bosco Higenyi to give their layman’s opinion about the case before the judge would deliver the final verdict as is the established procedure. However, the assessors vanished soon after the case reached the judgment stage. They have never been traced.
The High Court delayed the judgement for more than a year as the authorities searched for the assessors. Walusimbi’s lawyers led by McDusman Kabega protested that their client was suffering injustice of prolonged detention.
Section 69(2) of the Trial on Indictment Act states that when assessors disappear or cannot be traced before the judgement, the trial must start afresh.
The retrial was ordered but the process would take a long time to identify a new judge and for prosecution to prepare witnesses afresh.
Walusimbi’s lawyers applied to court to release him pending the retrial. He was released in October last year. His release annoyed police and prosecutors, who warned that it was risky to have him back in society.
The police Flying Squad Unit operatives arrested Walusimbi as soon as he was released at the High Court in Kampala. They detained him for months until the Uganda Human Rights Commission intervened, saying his rights were being abused. He was released again.
