By Andrew Irumba
The hunter is now the hunted after two police officers landing in trouble over murder of a suspect who was in their custody at Kiwenda police cells in Wakiso district a few days back.
This comes after a team of homicide detectives tasked to investigate the death of a suspect in Kiwenda Police cells under Kasangati Policing Division implicated two police officers.
Alex Lubiika was found dead in Kiwenda Police cells, a day after he was arrested on August 8th, 2019 over alleged goat theft, although circumstances surrounding his death attracted massive public outcry about torture by policemen.
Lubiik’s strange and unexplained death sparked off protests from his relatives, family members and residents, who claimed he had been tortured to death by cops.
Following the protests, the matter was reported to the Professional Standards Unit (PSU), which prompted the Kampala Metropolitan Policing Area to intervene.
Consequently, Corporal Robinnah Namaguru, the Officer in Charge of the outpost and Police Constable William Mugodi, who were in charge of the police post, were arrested to assist with investigations into Lubiika’s death.
However, their co-accused, Jimmy Rugambamazima went into hiding and is still at large to date.
After PSU investigating the matter, KMP spokesperson Patrick Onyango said on Wednesday that investigations implicated Mugodi, Rugambamazima and a police informer in Lubiika’s murder.
Onyango however said the investigations exonerate Corporal Namaguru and another female vigilante of any wrongdoing.
Onyango said that “Our officers who mishandled the suspect; their files were investigated thoroughly, professionally when done we took the file to the Resident State Attorney (RSA) who preferred murder charges against two police officers and one vigilant. One police officer is on the run,” Onyango said.
He added that “However, the RSA in his wisdom advised that the two didn’t participate in the crime so they were released as per the directive.”
He said the investigators established that Namagaru was away when the suspect was arrested and tortured.
Although the officers claim that the suspect was thumped by a mob while disembarking on a police patrol, investigators later established that he was fine when he was locked up although his corpse had wounds that the cops couldn’t explain he had sustained.
