By eastafrican gazette
The Crime Intelligence (CI) Unit in KMP, working alongside the Flying Squad Unit KMP South, successfully conducted an intelligence-driven operation resulting in the apprehension of a crime gang linked to the murder of five women.
This group has been specifically targeting women.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the suspects have been preying on women who are either heading to work in the early hours of the morning or returning home late from work.
Their modus operandi involved enticing the female victims into their taxi, where they would proceed to strangle and suffocate them using polythene bags, rob them, and later dump their bodies.
“They would proceed to rob their bags, smart phones and other valuables and then dump the bodies of the victims, within Kajjansi Town Council, Wakiso district,” the police spokesperson Fred Enanga noted.
The task team tracked down the first three suspects who include: Abbas Katongole, Ronald Matovu (both conductors) and Herbert Turyashemererwa.
Key suspect arrested
Enanga while addressing journalists at the weekly security briefing at the police headquarters, in Nakawa division, Kampala on May 20, 2024, noted the that the key suspect, Isaac Nuwagaba Isaac,32, a taxi driver was also arrested was arrested from Rwakimuli cell, Bukinda sub-county, in Rukiga district.
Upon arrest, a search was conducted and tangible exhibits were recovered, including; Techno Spark black phones, one with a line of one Jenipher Nassali, who was murdered, a Samsung phone with two sim cards, a red hand bag, yellow jumper, six mobile covers, and shs500,000 cash among other exhibits.
In addition, two taxis operating along Kampala – Entebbe which were allegedly used in the commission of the atrocities, under registration number UAU 737T and UAV 473Y, were impounded and parked at Kajjansi Central Police Station (CPS).
Cases of abduction and murder
Enanga noted that the first incident of abduction and murder occurred on March 31, 2024, where Judith Awori, a 25-year-old waitress at Royal Ark Restaurant in Lweza Cell, Ndejje in Kajjansi Town Council, was found murdered and her body dumped near St. Luke Church in Lweza.
The victim is said to have been strangled to death from an unknown place and dumped.
On April 23, 2024, another body of an unknown female adult, was found in a sack in Kawotto cell in Kajjansi Town Council.
It was dumped by a male suspect, who was captured on camera, fleeing from the scene, after setting fire on the body of the dead victim.
On April 29, 2024, another report was made at Kajjansi Police Station, after another female adult, identified as Jenipher Nassali, was murdered by unknown persons and her body dumped at Bweya cell in Kajjansi town council. The deceased had signs of strangulation, around the neck, and her face was blindfolded in a polythene bag.
On May 9, 2024, another body of a female adult victim, that was unknown was also found dumped along Jjanja – Lutembe beach road, at around 9am, by an unidentified motor vehicle, while on May 15, 2024, a report of disappearance of Sandra Nangobi was made at Kajjansi Police Division, by her mother Sulaina Tendo, after the victim left home at Kitende, “B” cell, Kajjansi town council at 5am, but did not reach her work place in Makindye.
The victim’s phone was switched off and her whereabouts unknown.
Enanga noted that there is substantial evidence linking the gang’s involvement in the disappearance and death of the different victims.
“The modus operandi in relation to the deaths of the five women, is similar, and the motive was robbery. We have obtained DNA samples for comparison, with the samples picked from the bodies of the victims and from the two taxis,” he added.
Public cautioned
The police continue to caution all members of the public who leave their homes very early and those who return late from work, to be very careful, while boarding taxis, that are not from the gazetted stage points, and those whose occupants are all male.
They also advised people to move in groups, because serial killers prey on lone and vulnerable victims.
He thanked the joint task teams of Crime Intelligence, Flying Squad Unit, Field Force Unit/General Duties, and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Kampala Metropolitan, for their good work, in solving the case. Enanga noted that further efforts are in place to track down other members of the crime gang.
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