URN understands that CMI joined the operation after two of the eight persons robbed of their money in a ride-along attack were associated with the army spy agency. Sources said one of the persons robbed 100 million shillings is a logistics supplier to the army.
The directive by the Minister for Internal Affairs,
Maj Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, to Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba,
to probe the Acacia Avenue shooting to the death of six suspected money
robbers has hit a snag.
Six people were killed on January 13 at Acacia
Avenue and Mawanda road in an operation which Uganda Radio Network (URN) has
reliably been informed was conducted by Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS)
formerly Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Flying Squad Unit (FSU)
under police’s Directorate of Crime Intelligence (DCI).
The killed suspected robbers were later on identified
as Hamis Mohamed, Sharif Lukwago, Michael Ssebakka, Fahad Katongole, Innocent
Tuyishabe aka Adam, and Zake Maniriho also known as Daddy Easy.
When the names were revealed, it was discovered that
Ssebakka, Tuyishabe and Maniriho did not have criminal records at any police
station or in any civil court.
The information of the trio being innocently
killed for simply riding the suspected robbers or being near the criminals attracted
public uproar. The legislators demanded an explanation from Minister
Otafiire.
In response, Otafiire directed IGP Byakagaba to ensure
all security agencies that participated in the operation provided details of the
officers who took part and explained what warranted a shoot-to-kill decision.
“I have already talked to the Inspector General of
Police and requested a report on the incident. Under no circumstances should a
Ugandan be executed. I regret that these six Ugandans were gunned down on mere
suspicion,” Otafiire said.
However, URN has been informed that to date CMI
and DCI have not provided the names of the security officers who took part in the
operation which left the six people killed. “There is a total disregard for this
directive. The security agencies are uncooperative. They are not willing to reveal
their officers since there is possible prosecution over extra-judicial killing,”
a senior security officer said.
URN understands that CMI joined the operation after two of
the eight persons robbed of their money in a ride-along attack were associated with
the army spy agency. Sources said one of the persons robbed 100 million
shillings is a logistics supplier to the army.
“The operation was to eliminate the thugs because close
confidants and business dealers linked to some of the army agencies had been
robbed of more than 300 million shillings in a space of three weeks. The
last person’s robbery of 100 million shillings was the last nail the thugs’
acts because CMI immediately took over the hunt,” a senior security officer
explained.
URN has been informed that in the last six incidents,
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras recorded the thugs’ movement and endpoints. Later on, the CCTV command centre at Naguru manned by both police and
military in collaboration with the Directorate of Forensic Science was able to
retrieve images and criminal records of the suspected thugs.
“When the images and details of the thugs were obtained,
it was resolved a joint operation involving police and military should be
conducted. Two days after the operation decision had been made, these thugs robbed
a businessman of 100 million shillings in Maganjo after he had withdrawn it from
Centenary Bank in Kawempe,” a security officer at Naguru said.
The last person robbed of his money before security agencies
shot the suspected thugs was Fred Tibamanya and his 100 million shillings was
taken in a jam by thugs on three motorcycles holding machetes.
Tibamanya withdrew the money at a Centenary Bank
branch at Kawempe and put it in a bag which he placed inside his car and
started driving toward Maganjo where he was encircled.
Patrick Onyango the Kampala
metropolitan police spokesperson said Tibamanya’s attackers dumped the bag near
Kyadondo Hospital after removing the money.
CID records at Kampala Central Police Station show that the criminals had
robbed money close to a billion shillings in ride-along attacks in six months. In Nakawa, they robbed over 400 million shillings, in Makindye more
than 100 shillings while in Kawempe at least 150 million shillings including
that of Tibamanya had been robbed between December 2024 and January 2025.
When asked for an update regarding the probe directed
by Minister Otafiire, Police Spokesperson, ACP Kituuma Rusoke, said they are
progressing with the investigation without divulging much. He said the public should wait for updates.
Mr Joseph Kato graduated with a Master's Degree of Art in Journalism & Communication on February 02, 2024 at Makerere University. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Journalism and Media Studies which he attained in 2023 at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway.
Mr Kato holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University. The Master's Degree studies and a decade of journalism practice have enabled Mr Kato to be one of the reliable researchers in areas of conflict, r