Police recover body from KIU septic tank
Police detectives and Local Defence Unit personnel carry away the body of Leonard Kato (inset), a guard with Time Cop Security Group, that was found in a
septic tank at Kampala International University in Kansanga, a city suburb, yesterday. PHOTO / STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Mr Paul Mutiima, a footballer with Kansanga Central Football team, said while playing soccer from the university pitch at about 11am, the ball went off the pitch and when he went to collect it, he found blood stains on the surface of the septic tank.
Residents of Kansanga Central zone, Makindye Division, Kampala, were yesterday shocked when they discovered a body floating in a septic tank at Kampala International University.
Mr Paul Mutiima, a footballer with Kansanga Central Football team, said while playing soccer from the university pitch at about 11am, the ball went off the pitch and when he went to collect it, he found blood stains on the surface of the septic tank.
“When I saw the blood stains, I moved towards the septic tank, I saw a body floating. I called my colleagues and later the area chairman, who reported the matter to police,” he said.
Mr Mustafa Kamya, the chairman of Kansanga Central Zone, said on Saturday, he heard that the deceased, whom he identified as Leonard Kato, was talking to a girl, the daughter of a one Kayiza, boda boda rider.
Mr Kamya narrated that Kayiza and the deceased, a security officer, got into a heated argument over the girl, which escalated into a fight that left the cyclist helpless.
Mr Kamya added that he was told that Kayiza later mobilised other boda boda riders who found the deceased in his rental room and beat him before being dumped into the septic tank.
“The deceased’s woman came after the fight, she tried to go to police but the boda boda people intimidated her and blocked her. The woman feared and went to sleep at her friend’s place,” the chairman said.
Mr Kamya said before the woman went to her friend’s place, they first went to her room, where they found two blood-stained knives, but Kato was missing.
“I told her to get someone with a smart phone and take pictures because police may need them if we were to report the incident,” he said.
Mr Kamya added that he was shocked when one of his residents informed him about a body lying in the septic tank. When he reached there , he found that he knew the person.
A team of detectives from Kabalagala Police Station visited the crime scene at about midday yesterday. The detectives with the help of some residents retrieved the body, which had cuts on the chest and the neck.
Police took the body to Mulago city mortuary for a postmortem.
A resident, only known as Maama Mariat, aka Queen, said: “I saw the deceased at around 8pm on Saturday, but I did not know what had happened, today morning at around 9am, I saw [his] woman parking all the her clothes in the vehicle and she left.”
Maama Mariat said she saw some of the bedsheets with blood stains, an indication that they had a fight.
The Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigire, confirmed to this newspaper that the case is being investigated .
‘’We have strong leads into this murder case, and some suspects have been arrested but we shall give more details into the matter when investigations are in advanced stages,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the university were futile as they did not respond to our calls by press time.
POLICE REPORT
It’s alleged that on Saturday at about 5pm, Leonard Kato approached the daughter of Richard Kayiza and told her that he loved her. When Kayiza came back home at about 5.05pm, [his daughter] informed him of how Kato had approached her for love. This infuriated Kayiza, who asked his daughter to take him to the man (Kato). On arrival at Kato’s house, about 30 metres from Kayiza’s home, a quarrel ensued. Kayiza left Kato’s home to moblise his friends to arrest Kato.
Ibra and another an unknown man from the nearby garage were moblised, they came with steel iron bars. A fight started in Kato’s house and he allegedly escaped. Today (yesterday) at about 11am, the body of Kato was found in a septic tank behind KIU, approximately 300 metres from his home.The body had a slit throat and a cut on the left palm, the septic tank cover was not fully placed back, a knife was recovered on top of the septic tank.
The body was taken to the city mortuary for postmortem. Kato’s house was searched, steel iron bars and blood stained knife statements recorded from neighbours. One suspect was arrested to assist in investigations.
It is important to note that the above events having unfolded, Richard Kayiza later at about 8:27pm reported a case of indecent assault of his daughter, and threatening violence (against Kato).
