Two policemen confess to killing Busia MP Bodyguard

Two police officers attached to Busia Central Police Station have been arrested and handed over to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) headquarters in Kampala over the fatal shooting of a Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldier.

Ivan Kakayi, 24, a personal bodyguard to Mr Geoffrey Macho, the Busia Municipality Member of Parliament (MP), was on Sunday gunned down at Divine Healing Centre Ministries International Church in Sofia Village, Busia Town.

Kakayi is said to have first been shot while in the legislator’s car, and when he ran out, his assailants reportedly pursued him and fatally shot him in the Church compound, causing panic among congregants.

Following the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police Patrick Javuru, the officer-in-charge of crime intelligence in Busia and Detective Corporal Stanley Chelogoi, the head Flying Squad, have been arrested as the intelligence arm of the UPDF investigates the crime.

The CMI will start working on clues provided by sources at Busia Police Station that the suspects had been trailing the MP’s car after an anonymous tipster provided information that there was an unknown armed assailant in the car.

Security sources in Tororo, where the suspects were first held, have confirmed that the two police officers have already been transferred to CMI headquarters for interrogation. 

“They were held here overnight (on Sunday) and early today (Monday), we handed them over to CMI officials,” the source said.

Confession

According to Mr Paul Kalikwani, the Busia deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), the suspects admitted to shooting the soldier dead, but are yet to explain the motive.

He further revealed that the two guns used in the crime had been recovered and examined by ballistic experts who ascertained that they discharged seven bullets collectively.

Mr Hassan Kamba, the NRM flag bearer for the Busia Municipality seat, described the shooting as ‘most shocking’ and the reason police gave for trailing suspected robbers as ‘vague’ was because the MP’s car was known to police and everybody in Busia Town.

At the Busia Health Centre IV mortuary where the body of the deceased lay, relatives and friends gathered in a somber mood as they tried to make sense of the tragedy.

Mr Anthony Katete, an uncle to the deceased, said as a family, they demand that the suspects tell the public the motive for fatally shooting their loved one.

“He (Kakayi) was such a disciplined young man who rarely fought anyone; now that his killers are known, we want an explanation from them about his killing,” Mr Katete said.

Mr Samuel Wabukata, another relative to the deceased, said as a family, they were shocked by the murder at the hands of police who are meant to be custodians of the law.

“We heard that even when the deceased pulled out his warrant card and showed the two officers, they insisted and shot him dead,” Mr Wabukata said.

Mr Macho has suspended his campaigns for a week as his camp comes to reality with the murder of his bodyguard, describing the deceased as “a hero who took bullets on my behalf.”