The Directorthe Criminal Investigations Department of Police, Major Tom Magambo says the Police has what he describes as “very good leads” to who paid the killers of former Senior State Attorney Joan Kagezi Namazzi. Suspected assassins gunned down Joan Kagezi nine years ago.
Without revealing further details, Magambo told the Seventh Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture on Thursday that the police would at an opportune moment reveal those who financed the assassins.
President Museveni had called on Magambo to give an update at the lecture, which took place at Kololo Independence Grounds.
President Museveni cross-examined Magambo in front of prosecutors, lawyers, friends, journalists, and the children of late Kagezi.
Magambo caused laughter among the audience when he referred to the president as a “lead investigator” into the killing. He then assured the president at an appropriate time, they would meet him (Museveni) for further guidance.
According to Museveni, the murderers of Kagezi miscalculated. He said some of the suspects are in custody while others were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo under their terrorist organization the Allied Democratic Forces.
The suspects were arraigned before courts of law in November 2023 following the murder that occurred on March 30, 2015 in Kiwatule Kampala District.
The suspects include Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, a peasant farmer, John Kibuuka, also known as Musa, an inmate at Kigo prison, Nasur Abdallah Mugonole and John Masajjage, also known as Mubiru Brian or alias Badru or Chongo, both inmates at Kitalya Mini Maximum prison in Wakiso.
Museveni explained that whereas everyone born will die, Kagezi’s legacy lives on. He said there is a need to reflect on how one has died and what legacy one leaves behind.
Museveni alluded to Jesus Christ who died many years ago but to date, many people have embraced his preaching to the extent that he is also a Christian.
He said the problem with the bush fighters/army is if one was armed, even if one is a suspect, she or she would be killed.
He said the best was in that circumstance if for one to surrender, and only this, will they get an opportunity to be granted a temporary judicial status of being called ‘suspects’.
Museveni said the country needs to be strengthened by not only remembering people who have died in line with duty but also to support their families.
Museveni further thanked the children of the late Kagezi for having properly utilized the opportunity granted to them by the government to study and succeed.
The Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo stated that he was the trial judge, during the Kampala Bombing case when Kagezi was murdered, and when he summed up to the assessors and the conclusion of the case, he was very clear that they should not be moved by emotions in their decision.
He said he knew whoever murdered Kagezi would be tried elsewhere another time and if evidence were brought to court, it would do the needful.
“I’m glad to hear that some people have been arrested. And let me make it very clear. The ones who have been arrested are not the killers of Joan Kagezi. They are suspects, people brought before the Courts of law are entitled to the presumption of innocence. And the due process will be followed to the later and spirit.” said Owiny-Dollo.
He said the suspects will be tried and if sufficient evidence is brought, they will be convicted. “I the evidence does not meet the required standard, they will be released. So my sister you have your work cut out for you that these aspects will be subjected to the due process”, said Chief Justice to the Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo.
The Chief Justice condemned all forms of murder saying that murder for a woman is even unthinkable in the African cultural setting.
He added that Africans have run away from their African culture, wondering how somebody has the audacity to take a woman’s life and take that life in the presence of that person’s children like it was when Kagezi was murdered.
On her part, the DPP Abodo highlighted a list of what she described as unfunded priorities which hinders the execution of their mandate. She said they are they need resources to recruit 450 Prosecutors so as to solve the problem of under staffing.
Abodo said that the biggest problem they are finding nowadays is that, the Judiciary has recruited more Judicial officers but for them they are only 405 Prosecutors in total and that 34 Districts have no Prosecutors in the country which translates to a 30 percent national deficit.
She further told the President that 103 courts across the country have no permanent Prosecutors adding that they don’t have security given the nature of their work.
Abodo also noted that there is an increase in the number of land crimes in the country most of which have resulted into criminal cases such as murder, assault, rape, destruction of property among others.
She noted that there should be a way of dealing with these if a person is arrested within two minutes by the time he/she gets out of detention, they will find when the land is already transferred. She also reminded the President to fulfill his pledge of 250 million shillings balance to the Prosecutor’s Sacco.
