Bishops Condemn Gov't Over Mysterious Murders & Kidnaps
Catholic and Anglican archbishops in an East African country sent a strong and critical message to the government for failing to secure people's lives in the wake of rampant kidnaps and killings across the country.
The Uganda prelates; Archbishop Cyrian Kizito Lwanga and his counterpart Archbishop Stanley Ntagali of Catholic faith and Church of Uganda respectively, both used their Easter messages to scold government and urge Ugandans to reject the growing culture of death.
Whilst delivering his message at Rubaga Cathedral, Kampala; Archbishop Lwanga of Kampala Archdiocese challenged government to strengthen the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to stop the criminal gangs now on rampage.
“Many people are being kidnapped and killed. These days, when you get out of your house, you are not sure whether you will come back alive or dead. The investigations department has failed to provide reports about these,” said the Catholic Bishop in reference to the trending kidnaps, disappearances and brutal murders of young people.
The CID has been on the spot over failure to conclude investigations into multiple cases of murders across the country, including those of former police spokesperson and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Andrew Felix Kaweesi, several Muslim clerics, and women in urban areas around Kampala.
For the past 4- years, bodies of young women have been discovered in the neighbouring districts of Kampala with conspicuous resemblance that raising the presence of possible serial killers at work leaving the local population terrified. All the young women, who have been brutally murdered are aged between 18 and 35, each of them with signs rape in addition to sharp sticks inserted into their vaginas.
There has also been widespread cases of office and house break-ins. Strangely, the wave of break-ins at over 37 offices of civil society organisations across the country, reported to the police but no suspect ever been apprehended, which raises more fears among the people.
Several Non-government Organisations (NGOs) have had their offices broken into, security guards killed, computer and important documents stolen. In the recent past, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigated and made a report, which suggest a pattern of attacks that indicate the perpetrators who enjoy impunity.
(Read: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/13/uganda-investigate-break-ins-groups-offices ).
The unsolved killings by the police lately forced the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) to swing into action to arrest the escalating insecurity.
“The gruesome killings and abductions that are happening against innocent children, women and men are appalling. We call upon government to act on this and bring the offenders, including government officials, to justice,” he said.Archbishop Lwanga said the offenders must be brought to book regardless of their positions and status in society.
In almost similar message, whilst echoing his Catholic counterpart, the Church of Uganda, Archbishop Ntagali asked Ugandans to use the Easter season to renounce the growing culture of death and embrace the culture of life that Jesus offers through his death and resurrection.
Archbishop Ntagali said the delayed solution to the killings constitutes actions contrary to Jesus’ teachings that promote life.
“The increasing deaths and the seeming inability to do anything about them is part of our current culture of death. This is not the way of Jesus,” the Anglican Bishop said at Namirembe Cathedral in the capital-Kampala. The Archbishop further expressed sharp disapproval of the way the President [Museveni] is attacking the clergymen.
Victims
Recently, Gen Museveni, said that: "I want to warn all those who are threatening people: 'akabwa akasiru kayyigga enjovu' [a foolish dog hunts an elephant]..... to think that you can threaten NRM and use violence, yet NRM is the master of violence. Our violence is purposeful."
Indeed the world witnessed the chaotic scenes at Makindye Magistrate Court, where Ugandan lawyers had sued the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen. Edward Kale Kayihura and several of his junior officers on allegations of torturing the supporters of the opposition leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, who is widely believed to have won the February 2016 presidential elections. Gen Kayihura who has been operating directly with directives from President Museveni, had his supporters besieged the court, roughed and beat up both the court officials and prosecuting lawyers.
Then case presiding Judge, Richard Mafabi, mysteriously died a few weeks later and the case never again saw the light of the court room. The then 51-year-old Mafabi, had had his chambers invaded and threatened by pro-Gen Kayihura gangs, who then led to the stalling of the case. (Watch: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xfmz8xtmWhU ).
In the case of Francis Ekalugar, an accountant with Case Clinic in Kampala, his body was burnt to the conceal the heinous crime.
The 49-year-old Ekalugar, went missing on January 2, 2018, whilst on his way to the bank with UGX 15,000,000 (approximately US$4,200), only his body to be discovered days later, burnt beyond recognition at Kajjansi, 18.2 kilometres, south of the capital Kampala.
Though, the police line of investigation focused on Ekalugar's workmates, the army intelligence discovered the victim's car in the home of two Congolese nationals who pinned Huzairu Kiwalabye, a brother to the head of the infamous vigilante militia, Abdullah Kitata, who has been the right hand man of the IGP Gen Kayihura and the ruling party NRM chairman of Rubaga a suburb of Kampala.
Additionally, in the first week of February, 2018, a 28-year-old Susan Magara an account, was kidnapped, a one million USA dollars ransom was demanded. The kidnappers cut off two-of-her fingers and sent them to the parents. On a would be her 21st day in captive, Ms Magara's body was discovered after the parents paid only US$200,000 part of a million dollar that had been demanded by the kidnappers.
Ms Fatuma Sendagire Nabiwemba, a senior prosecutor at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), was kidnapped in December 2017, only to be set free in February 2018, after a huge ransom was paid.
In February 2018, a 27-year-old Isaac Makubuya, a computer specialist, received a call to go and repair a computer somewhere in the capital Kampala but hasn't been seen again.
In February 2018, Philip Tumwebaze, a bio-informatics specialist went missing a week to his wedding, which was slated for March 3rd, 2018 and hasn't been seen again. Tumwebaze had been a victim of kidnap in 2008, but was arrested in Rwanda on suspicion of being a Ugandan spy.
In December 2017, Mulago hospital dentist, Dr Kenneth Majoku was kidnapped. Dr Majoku regained his freedom in January 2018, three-police-officers had been involved and they took UGX 5.4 million (approximately US$1,450) before his release.
On September 18, 2017, Gerald Yashaba was kidnapped by men aided by a Police Superintendent, Gerald Edyegu. A huge ransom was paid before Yashaba regained freedoms.
On March 14, 2017, a four-year-old Faith Emmanuel Poni, a daughter of Emmanuel Daud Tombe, the South Sudan Consul in Uganda was kidnapped from Kampala Parents School, kept hostage for 4 days and a ransom of UGX 18,000,000 (approximately US$4,860) was demanded before she was released.
In January 2016, a case of 31-year-old Saidat Kabanda, was filled as SD/07/02/16, at Sanga Police Post-Masaka, 159 kilometres south west of the capital - Kampala. According to Ms Kabanda's brother, the Makerere University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics was presumed dead because; her two-friends had been brutally murdered months before with both bodies discovered with signs of rape and sharp sticks inserted into their vaginas.
Other disappearances
In a case filed at Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) as SD/18/02/2015, Bidiche Nganga Bora, a Congolese national disappeared and hasn't been seen again.
Another case of disappearance, a 29-year-old lawyer, Setaala Ibra. Semugenze was filed as SD/045/15/10/15, at Mbarara CPS. Setaala, who then doubled as one of the directors of Sab Restaurant in Kampala has never been seen again, since he was arrested in October 2015 alongside other political activists.
On January 15, 2015, Eriafasi Kafeero's body was discovered, wrapped into a polythene bag and case was filled as vide CRB/015 /2015, at Mukono Police Station.
In the neighbourhood areas, another case of the body wrapped in a polythene bag was filled as vide CRB/ 348/2015, at Seeta Police Station.
Across the city, Kajjansi on Entebbe Road, 18 kilometres, south of the capital Kampala, a case of body wrapped in polythene bag was discovered and filed as vide CRB/ 164/2015.
Since 2015 only 26 people have been rescued by their relatives after paying huge ransoms. In many incidents, perpetrators are believed to be working within the formal security agencies. Though, government switched off all unregistered phone numbers for the civilian population: security agents do still use unregistered numbers.
In another chaotic scene as the country’s Parliament was about to debate the removal of the age limit last year; a minister Ronald Kibuule smuggled a gun into the house and when the opposition MPs protested, soldiers from the presidential guards, invaded the Parliament and unleashed terror on many members mostly opposition leaning MPs and a few.
The country’s security agency; Uganda UPF, an agency meant to protect the citizens, instead on a daily basis being accused of facilitating the disappearances and violating the people's basic fundamental rights.
Several families whose loved ones are caught up in the cobwebs of the mysterious disappearances have resorted to take their complaints to the media. They claim and contend that the ongoing mysterious missing of young people, majority are from one region and those suspected of being anti-government policies.
A few victims who have survived this ongoing cruel trend of kidnaps, ransom demands, disappearances or brutal murders have safaced but restricted from talking to the media.
Fatuma Sendagire Nabiwemba, a senior prosecutor with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who disappeared in December 2017, resafaced last month. We have reliably informed that, an extremely large ransom was paid for her freedom. Efforts to talk to her, including her immediate bosses were declined. According to records obtained by this reporter, indicate that, hitec methods with connivance of insiders have been either participating or aiding the criminals.
In the case of Francis Ekalugar, an accountant with Case Clinic.
The 49-year-old Ekalugar, went missing on January 2, 2018, whilst on his way to the bank with UGX 15,000,000 (approximately US$4200).
Ekalugar's body was days later discovered burnt beyond recognition at Kajjansi, 18.2 kilometres, south of the capital Kampala. Whilst the police line of investigations focused on Ekalugar's workmates, the army intelligence discovered the victim's in the home of two Congolese nationals who pinned Huzairu Kiwalabye, a brother to the head of infamous vigilante militia, Abdullah Kitata, who also doubles as Gen. Kayihura right had in clamping on opposition as well as NRM chairman for Rubaga division.
In his humble call, the Roman Catholic Archbishop Lwanga, advised the President to use the money given to unscrupulous people to divert it into road construction.
"A lot of misleading information is passed to the President by politicians, businessmen, civil servants, police officers, Internal Security Organisation and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) among others," said Archbishop Lwanga.
Archbishop Lwanga further said that, the Government and its security organs were recruiting the clergymen and other religious in his church to spy on him and had been warned of a plot to assassinate him like former Anglican Bishop, the late Janani Luwum.
(Watch: https://m.youtube.com/results?q=Archbishop%20Cyrian%20Kizito%20Lwanga&sm=3 ).
The Roman Catholic Archbishop Lwanga who also doubles as the Chairperson of the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) told the President to be kind enough and tell the church leaders he has recruited in ISO, ESO, or CMI that, they cannot serve in both the church and security.