By Spy Uganda
The killers of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Katayimbwa are yet to be found by the police.
Spy Uganda has leanrt that the police decided this week to release 11 suspects who had been arrested by detectives who thought they had a link to the double homicide.
The investigations are being conducted by a joint security team which includes the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), Flying Squad Unit (FSU), Crime Intelligence (CI) and Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID).
Shortly after Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa’s murder, the investigating team arrested 18 suspects within the last three weeks of investigation but 11 have since been released.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, said that “Some of the suspects had been arrested based on footage captured by Closed Circuit Television-CCTV security cameras on the night Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa were kidnapped.”
Enanga added that “Others were arrested because of the telephone conversation they had with relatives or the prime suspects in the two days Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa were missing.”
Thereafter Security operatives arrested Ivan Makanga, a Boda Boda rider because he was captured in CCTV footage seemingly following Nagirinya’s car Spacio UBA 570V which was being chauffeured by one of the kidnappers.
Enanga said in the CCTV footage, it appeared as if Makanga and his passenger a one Mugisha were following kidnappers in Nagirinya car but during investigations, it was established that the duo had no idea of what was happening.
Based on CCTV video, investigators arrested a one Bwire, also a Bodaboda rider who was captured following kidnappers as they drove back from Mukono where they had dumped Kitayimbwa and Nagirinya’s bodies.
Enanga said Bwire, Makanga and Mugisha have since been set free because all investigations methods applied on them have proved they were innocent and were just like other road users who by coincidence followed the car.
We have learnt that also among the released suspects is Fortunate Ayebare, who was arrested at Shell Kireka five days after Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa’s bodies were recovered. Police said security agencies arrested Ayebare because her boyfriend called her saying Nagirinya had not been kidnapped but was in security custody.
Enanga said investigators picked her in order to help them arrive to her boyfriend who seemingly had knowledge of what was surrounding Nagirinya’s situation.
However, during interrogation, CMI and police realized that Ayebare’s boyfriend also called Mugisha, had called her based on speculation and didn’t have any connection to the crime. The couple has also been released without charges.
Enanga said six other suspects who had been arrested for attempting to obstruct lawful arrests of suspects in Nagirinya murder were also released. Police said they were defending their colleagues who are Boda Boda riders. Investigators found out that Makanga and Bwire are innocent and thus even those arrested on attempting to block arrest were released.
The investigators have since zeroed on four prime suspects who have already recorded an extrajudicial statement confessing to the crime.
These include Koprian Kasolo alias Arsenal, Johnson Lubega alias Rasta aka Eto, Hassan Kisekka alias Masada and Nassif Kalyango alias Muwonge. The joint security team is also hunting for three other suspects including the one who allegedly paid Shs130,000 to the killers for the job.
Nagirinya, who was a project coordinator of Community Integrated Development Initiative –CIDI, was kidnapped outside her home in Lungujja, Rubaga Division, in Kampala at around 11:40 pm as her sister, Benna Lubowa, opened the gate for her to drive in with Kitayimbwa.
