Key Suspect In Masaka Killings Goes Missing

By Gad Masereka

A key suspect in a string of murders in the Masaka sub-region has gone missing.

Around 15 suspects, including two MPs from Makindye West and Kawempe North, Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya, were arrested in connection with the deaths of 26 people in the districts of Lwengo and Masaka.

Benard Musumba, Faisal Kabuye, Paul Ssekajigo, Frank Tamale, Badru Kirega, and Mike Sserwadda are among the other suspects who have been committed to High Court to face trial.

On Wednesday, Masaka Resident State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka told the court that they are having difficulty gathering evidence to support the trial.

Birivumbuka informed Masaka Grade One Magistrate Christine Nantege that they had been unable to locate Tony Ssenyonga from Kitalya prison, where he was being held.

Ssenyonga is one of the suspects who confessed to the murders and volunteered to expose the identities of all of his co-conspirators. The state had preferred to change charge sheets of other individuals and present Ssenyonga as a key witness, according to Birivumbuka, but they have been unable to locate him.

One of the suspects on remand in Kitalya prison, Bernard Musumba, has pleaded with the court to release them on required bail, claiming that the six-month investigation period has run out.

Nantege gave the state until April 6 to produce Ssenyonga or issue mandatory bail to the suspects.

However, Frank Baine, a spokesman for Uganda Prison Services, claims that they were unaware of the suspected disappearance.

“No suspect could go missing in our hands; we’ll track him down as soon as we’re alerted,” he told URN over the phone.

On August 31st of last year, Ssenyonga was apprehended at Kyazanga health centre IV in Lwengo district, where he had been left by people who had beaten him up during a security operation.

The defendant was allegedly seen walking at night with a Panga and wearing a pair of Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF-style trousers.