Police in Masaka to quiz Kampala MPs over killings

The Police Criminal Investigations Directorate has summoned two National Unity Platform (NUP) Members of Parliament over the ongoing killings in Masaka Sub-region.

In two separate letters dated September 3, police summoned Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, and his Makindye West counterpart Allan Ssewanyana.

The summonses were served through the Speaker and the duo are required to appear at Masaka Police Station tomorrow to record statements over the killings.

“This serves as summons for you to appear at Masaka Police Station on Monday September 6, at 10am before D/SSP Moses Taremwa for a statement in respect to the said investigations,” the letters read in part.

The letters say the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) is investigating some murders that took place in Greater Masaka during the months of July and August, and this forms the basis of Mr Ssegirinya and Mr Ssewanyana’s summonses.

The CID spokesperson, Mr Charles Twine, confirmed the summonses.
“The summons are genuine and they are from CID headquarters, we are doing this in accordance with the law,” he said.

The development comes at a time when joint security agencies are trying to piece together what could be the cause of the killings that have since claimed 28 lives in just one month.

The assailants, whose motive is yet to be established, have also injured several other people, the majority of victims being the young and elderly.

On Tuesday, while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, ICT and National Guidance minister Chris Baryomunsi said the killings were linked to politics. 

“What seems to come out is that these people are being used by some politicians to create fear among the population,” Mr Baryomunsi said.

The minister told journalists that the motive of the said politicians was to paint a bad image of the government.
“They want to cause fear among the people so that the population can say the NRM government has failed to protect them,” he added. 

Mr Baryomunsi’s statements, however, rattled a section of legislators representing the Greater Masaka in Parliament, who rubbished the claims and demanded that the minister apologises for making such ‘reckless statements’ before the nation. 
The legislators instead accused the government of not doing enough to protect the citizens. 

But Mr Segirinya, through his Facebook page, said he is not happy at all because of the police summons.

“I have not been around for some time, I came back from The Netherlands yesterday and today [Friday]. I was called to Parliament to receive the police summons,” he said.

Mr Segirinya added that  he doesn’t even know where the killings in Masaka took place, saying he cannot even slaughter a chicken, and wondered how he could then butcher human beings.

Mr Ssewanyana said: “I have been summoned by police and I don’t know why, how it came about. I will go to Masaka police station with my lawyers and if there are questions, I will answer them.”
Last week, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, told Parliament that 69 suspects were arrested in connection to the killings. He said 10 of the suspects had been arraigned in court and charged with murder and attempted murder.