How special hire driver was hired and killed in Kayunga

Mathias Yiga, a resident of Najjanankumbi, a Kampala City suburb, was gruesomely killed and his body dumped on the road side in Bbaale in Kayunga District. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Mr Lukooto added that to evade arrest that day, the trio spent a night in sugar plantations but boarded a commuter taxi the following day at Bbaale Stage and travelled to Kayunga Town.

For two years, Mathias Yiga, a resident of Najjanankumbi, a Kampala City suburb, had been operating as an Uber taxi hire driver at the Ndeeba Stage in Kampala.

It was from this business that the 38-year-old derived a livelihood.

Like any other ordinary day, Yiga drove his Toyota Premio to the stage to wait for clients on Wednesday, July 24. Unknown to him, this would be his last day alive.

He was gruesomely killed and his body dumped on the road side in Bbaale in Kayunga District.
Two suspects have so far been arrested in connection with his murder.

Mr John Lukooto, the district police commander, said three men, with one allegedly known to Yiga, approached him at the stage and requested to go to Kayunga to buy a piece of land.

“However, when they transcended Gayaza Trading Centre, one of the suspects asked Yiga to help him drive the car. The suspect then started driving towards Kayunga,” Mr Lukooto said one of the suspects told the police detectives.

On reaching Wunga Village at about 5pm, Lukooto said two of the suspects pounced on Yiga and stabbed him several times in the stomach and neck.

“Because Yiga was well built and powerful, he tried to fight back, but was overpowered and stabbed in the chest,” he said.

The attackers left Yiga unconscious and later drove off with the car towards Galilaaya Village.
Upon reaching Bugembo Trading Centre, they abandoned his vehicle and fled.

“It seems the assailants became suspicious and in order to divert any likely police movements, they abandoned the vehicle,” Mr Lukooto said.

Residents who found Yiga unconscious alerted Nakyesa Police Post, which had earlier registered a complaint of a suspicious car that had been abandoned at the training centre with blood stained seats.
Yiga was taken to Kangulumira Health Centre IV, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mr Lukooto added that to evade arrest that day, the trio spent a night in sugar plantations but boarded a commuter taxi the following day at Bbaale Stage and travelled to Kayunga Town.

However, the taxi driver got suspicious when he saw the suspects covered with wounds.
He then informed Kayunga Police Station of the strange passengers and police sent informers in Kayunga Taxi Park.

Upon alighting from the taxi and as the two suspects boarded another taxi destined to Kampala, police arrested them.

The third suspect evaded arrest as they disembarked from the taxi before it reached Kayunga Town.
The two suspects are now detained at Kayunga Police Station.

“We are continuing with investigations and we shall take them to court on murder charges,” Mr Lukooto said.
The car is parked at Kayunga Police Station.

Exhibits
Police said two blood stained knives and injection needles with a water subsistence were found in the car.

“It seems the injection needle contained chloroform which they inject their target and when he becomes unconscious [before] they steal the car and other items. Police said they took the substances to the government laboratory for testing.