Police hunt more suspects in city bar shooting

 Police have interrogated a UPDF officer at the rank of Major attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) over the alleged shooting dead of a civilian in a city suburb last week.
Magidu Mugwanya, 46, was shot dead in an incident whose motive is still puzzling detectives.

The investigators are now reluctant to conclude on who shot dead Magwanya, a descendant of former Buganda Kingdom premier Stanislaus Mugwanya. This was after two more people; a renowned bailiff, and another unidentified security person, were also  accused of being armed at the time of the shooting. Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that their officers recorded a statement from the UPDF soldier but could not tell whether he is now treated as a suspect or not.
“His statement was recorded today (Sunday). I am not privy to other details of what he told the police,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
Apparently, the UPDF major denied shooting the deceased, but blamed it on the bailiff and the other unidentified security person, who are both on the run. A team of detectives raided the bailiff’s homes, but didn’t find him. 

Mugwanya’s family members held prayers for the deceased on Entebbe Road yesterday. The UPDF First Division commander, Maj Gen Samuel Kawagga,  talked to the relatives of the deceased on phone and promised justice.
A younger brother of the deceased, who preferred anonymity, said they were still uncertain about the death of their loved one. “I parted with my brother at around 8:30pm and he went home. I even called him when he had reached home. But he was called by our relative nicknamed Pretty Son for a meeting,” he said.
According to the deceased’s brother, Pretty Son revealed that a friend drove him from Namasuba to meet Mugwanya in Nateete at night.

The incident
“He told me that while they were meeting Mugwanya in the deceased’s car, they heard a woman crying for help. He said three men were trying to drag her into a car,” he said. He said Pretty Son told him that Mugwanya urged them to help the woman although they didn’t know her.
“He told us that  Mugwanya removed his stick from the car and went to intervene,” he said.
“Pretty Son also told us that one big man asked him who he was and what he wanted to do, but before he went into details, he was shot in the chest,” the deceased’s brother added.
Pretty Son told them that he scampered for his life and and drove off.
He said he asked Pretty Son why he didn’t inform them or the police.

“He said he was confused and also feared that the police would quiz him on why he drove his car past curfew time.  He only called me at 5am to tell me what had happened and I rode to the scene where I found that my brother had been killed,” the deceased’s brother said.
Investigators haven’t yet talked to Pretty Son or the woman that is said to have been dragged into the car. Police arrested a woman, who owns a bar near the crime scene.