The trial of 2 men who are accused of murdering ASP Muhammad Kirumira and his female friend Resty Nalinya Mbabazi, has kicked off today before Highcourt in Kampala.
Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe appeared before Justice Margret Mutonyi in a special criminal session.
Prosecution led by Jatiko Thomas read evidence from six witnesses including pathologists, police officers and an LC1 chairperson of Kyasanku village in Mpigi district and an Eye witness.
Jatiko also tendered in Court an exhibit postmoterm reports of both ASP Kirumira and Nalinya, in which police pathologists Dr. Moses Byaruhanga and Dr. William Mutumba confirmed that the duo died of gun shot wounds on the 8th/September 2018.
Both Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.
The evidence brought by prosecution witnesses indicates that the 2 accused were found to be linked and in constant communication with ADF operatives who are believed to have orchestrated the killings on the deceased on 8th/Septmeber/ 2018.
It’s further alleged that Kalungi confessed to the murder of Kirumira and Nalinya who was a mobile money agent operating and staying in Bulenga in Wakiso district.
Kalungi a resident of Mirimu Zone in Ndejje Ssabagabo -Makindye is said to have led the investigators to the scene of crime in Bulenga.m and explained to them how he had been camping in the area before and during the shooting.
Evidence further shows that Kalungi led the investigators to the home of one of the ADF suspects ; Abdul Kateregga at Namungoona- Luyinja whom he implicated as being the master minder of the murders.
That Kalungi was hired by Mwebe and Kateregga to trail Kirumira’s car which he later spotted at Northern -by pass and informed the killers.
However , Kateregga was also shot at and killed by investigators as he tried to evade arrest in October 2018.
The eye witnesses Abdul Kigongo a driver at Bulenga, has informed court that on the fateful day , he had just by-passed and greeted both Kirumira and Nalinya in the car at about 8pm, before seeing 4 men riding on two sport – bike motorcycles that started shooting at the car .
That he saw one of the shooters rotating around Kirumira’s car firing at it, while the others were shooting in the air to disperse off people .
However when asked if he had seen the identity of the shooters, Kigongo replied in negative saying he could not as their heads were all hooded .
Kalungi and Mwebe were arrested after police trailied their movements and communication between places of Mpigi , Gulu and Namungoona through Mobile phone data.
Kalungi was arrested from his mother’s place in Mpigi and revealed his co-suspects because he did not get what he was promised to be paid after the completion of their mission.
Both Kalungi and Mwebe have been returned back on remand until Thursday 21st September, 2022.
Reported by: Betty Zziwa
