KAMPALA – Police have arrested 15 of its officers who are said to have reluctantly failed to respond to a kidnap case of Maria Nagirinya and her driver who were later murdered.
The bodies of Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa, were discovered on Friday near a swamp at Nakitutuli along the Mukono-Kayunga road in Nama Sub County. The bodies were found covered with dry grass and had cuts on the head.
Addressing journalists in Kampala on Monday, police spokesman Fred Enanga said they believe several officers involved in this investigation acted negligently and were complacent.
“As a result, the Uganda Police Professional Standards Unit has arrested over 15 officers,” he said.
He added that three suspects are in custody in connection to the double murder and seven were arrested for abstracting officers who had gone to effect an arrest.
“The double kidnap and murder of Nagirinya and her driver is the fourth such incident this year. Other cases ended up in ransom demands. In this case, there was no other intention apart from murder. We are investigating the motives,” he said.
Speaking during the burial of Nagirinya at Kibuye in Makindye Division on Sunday, Dr Ben Mukwaya, a family member, who is also the director of Nsambya General Hospital, said Uganda does not deserve such a police force.
“We approached them [security] as soon as our girl was abducted only for them to turn up at 6.30pm the following day,” Dr Mukwaya said.
“I saw a level of detachment, incompetence, lack of empathy in handling this issue. It was us who headed the investigations at our own command centre as police sat back. What we have witnessed does not deserve this nation. Civilised nations are determined by the level of service delivery,” he added.
Nagirinya’s father, Mr Francis Lubowa, said God will punish his daughter’s killers.
“They killed her like a thief, using a hammer…I have not beaten her as she grew up. Whoever participated in killing my daughter, God will fight the war. I won’t fight you,” Mr Lubowa said.
