Police get leads on magistrate’s attackers

The police have obtained credible information about the boda boda cyclists that hit Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu with a blunt object before making off with her bag at Greenhill Academy on Mbogo Road,  Kibuli in Kampala City at the weekend.

Ms Kamasanyu was hit and fell unconscious as she crossed to enter the school to get her child’s Primary Leaving Examination slip on Saturday.

She was admitted to International Hospital Kampala, according to the Judiciary .

The area has police CCTV cameras 50 metres away from the scene on both sides. Both cameras are said to have captured the motorcyclists riding to the scene, a police source said.

“It should be in the suspects’ advantage to report themselves to the police immediately with the stolen bag and its content and the motorcycles they used in the robbery rather than for us picking them,” the source said.

According to a police report, by the time the school guards, who were inside the gate, came to the magistrate’s rescue, the suspects had already fled the scene.

Efforts to get a comment from the school management were futile as their official telephone contacts were switched off.

Both the school and their neighbouring company Multiple Industries Limited don’t have CCTV cameras at the entrances.

Status of investigations

Although Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said their investigations were yielding positive results, he couldn’t confirm that the police know the suspects .

“The detectives have told me that they have good leads. Our main objective now is to arrest the suspects. We are proceeding well to meeting our objective. The details will be shared later,” Mr Owoyesigyire said yesterday.

Police blame the school management for reporting the case later, which affected the response and apprehension of the suspects.

“The incident happened at about midday, we got the first report nearly three hours later. The guards and Counter Terrorism officers in the school should have alerted the police response team in time,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.

Mbogo Road and Industrial Area have become dangerous areas, especially for pedestrians. 

Gangs on motorcycles have been snatching bags and mobile phones from unsuspecting pedestrians.

Such complaints prompted the police management to establish a police post at the junction of Mbogo and Eighth Street to protect pedestrians and motorists, but police officers have since  deserted it.