On the day of the murder, Kaitesi allegedly called Arinda and told her that she had a birthday party and she needed her to be around. When she arrived, Kaitesi allegedly locked Arinda and Lukonge inside her bedroom and set it ablaze.
Fresh details have emerged about a man and woman who were burnt to death apparently in a love fracas in Katale zone, Kawempe division in Kampala barely a fortnight ago. Detectives who earlier identified the female victim as, Patricia Arinda, had been before identifying the male victim.
But with help of Closed Circuit Television –CCTV cameras, investigators have traced the boda boda rider who dropped him at the murder site. The boda boda rider has identified the male victim as Ivan Lukonge, whom he picked from Bweyogerere, Kira Municipality, in Wakiso district.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, said Lukonge, according to the boda boda rider, was dropped at the home of now prime suspect Susan Kaitesi at around 3am on January 12, this year. Kaitesi had earlier decieved police that she knew the male victim by only one name Kajumba and that he was hailing from Rakai district.
But the Bodaboda rider’s revelation has helped detectives to trace for Lukonge’s family and so far his father identified as Steven Kamoga, has been contacted. Kamoga at the weekend told police that he had also been searching for his son.
Owoyesigyire said samples have already been drawn from Lukonge’s body and his alleged father Kamoga for analysis. If the results march, police said the body will be handed over to Kamoga just like they have done for Arinda’s body that was handed over to her mother Constance Ntegyereize.
The identification of Lukonge is not the only suspicious part in Kaitesi’s statement about how the two were burnt to death inside her bedroom. CCTVs have shown that Arinda was also dropped at Kaitesi’s home at 12 midday by a boda boda and they got burnt at 5pm.
“She said the two victims came in together but the Bodaboda riders who dropped them have said they reported to the residence at different intervals, besides, our findings show that the fire was only limited to the bedroom,” Owoyesigyire said.
Police have interviewed seven witnesses including the two Bodaboda riders. Preliminary findings indicate that Kaitesi was a lover to Lukonge. However, she was allegedly alerted by a neighbour that her cousin Arinda was also in love with Lukonge.
“The neighbours told her that whenever she was away, the man would meet Arinda inside the same apartment and they spend nights together. Kaitesi being a person who was always away for work, she had given her cousin Arinda keys to the apartment,” detective quoting witness accounts said.
On the fateful day, Kaitesi allegedly called Arinda and told her that she had a birthday party and she needed to be around. When she arrived, Kaitesi allegedly locked Arinda and Lukonge inside her bedroom and set it ablaze.
She later moved out screaming for help claiming it was a gas cooker that had exploded. However detectives found the gas cooker intact in the store. Detectives have now picked a jerry can which was allegedly used to carry petrol that was sprinkled in the bedroom in which Arinda and Lukonge were murdered.
Joseph Kato is currently a Master's candidate at Makerere University. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University, a Diploma in Journalism and he's also a graduate in Guidance and Counseling.
