By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: A Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier who surrendered himself to police after allegedly shooting his colleague, a fellow UPDF soldier and a special hire driver has been committed the general court martial for trial.
Private Peter Okia was arrested on September 2 on allegations of shooting dead his colleague, Pte Leonard Chebet and special hire driver, Yiga Gonzanga, in Nlukolongo industrial area.
Okia was arrested when he reported at Natete Police Station that Gonzaga had grabbed Chebet’s gun and used it to kill him. He added that he retaliated by also shooting Gonzaga dead.
Police recorded Okia’s statement and later asked him to lead investigators and Scene of Crime Officers –SOCOs to the crime scene in Nalukolongo, Rubaga Division, in Kampala.
However, upon arrival, police officers and realized the scene wasn’t fresh and that the bodies looked like they had been there for two days.
Okia later changed his statement and admitted that he had delayed informing the police but the incident had happened the previous day.
Deputy KMP spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said Okia, who for the last two weeks has been at Natete cell, insists that his colleague was killed by Gonzaga. Police invited the army to be part of investigations and a decision was made that Okia should be handed over to UPDF to be tried in the Court Martial.
According to police there is enough incriminating evidence against Okia and all exhibits picked at the crime scene and report on reconstructing the scene point to him being the key suspects in Chebet and Gonzaga murder. Two guns and six bullet shells were recovered at the crime scene.
Gonzaga’s relatives had earlier reported at Katwe police station that he was missing. His special hire taxi was also recovered about 10 metres from the crime scene.
However, the Police are still wondering how Gonzaga, who was a taxi driver in Ndeeba, got murdered by Okia at private a construction site guarded by UPDF soldiers, which is also abnormal, because UPDF soldiers are not allowed to guard private properties.
Okia is now awaiting trial for the double murder at the next convenient sitting of the court martial.
