A team of joint security officers in Entebbe arrested four people including a police officer D/Sgt Julius Vukowi in connection to dropping threatening letters and theft of car number-plates. Other suspects include Ronald Baluku who was the first to be arrested and later revealed names of his cronies including Ashadu Kirigwajjo.
Baluku was waylaid when he tried to extort money from one Andrew Mulindwa whose car number-plate had been stolen. Upon his arrest on September 5, Baluku confessed to the crimes of stealing car number-plates in different parts of the country and dropping threatening letters.
He also confided of how Kirigwajjo had initiated the plans of stealing car number-plates on addition to burning the house and vehicles that belong to Ronald Kalema the Katabi town council chairperson. “Kirigwajjo took me around what he called the residence of Kalema and instructed me to buy fuel for burning it,” revealed Baluku.
When asked about the motive, Baluku said Kirigwajjo who was once Kalema’s personal bodyguard, wanted to create a need for him to be called back to the duties as a bodyguard. Upon their arrest, Kirigwajjo was first detained at Kisubi police station while Baluku was detained at Mpala police station from where he escaped. Baluku’s escape led to the arrest of Mpala CID D/sgt Vukowi who reportedly connived with the suspect to have him escape.
Baluku’s escape from the police cells triggered a hunt by the joint security officers from the Special Forces Command (SFC), Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and police, who later apprehended Baluku from the areas of Maganjo with William Lubega, a mechanic and purported accomplice.
Upon interrogation, both Lubega and Baluku pointed to several other members of their clique including one commonly known as Taata Mzee. It was on August 28, when the suspects broke into the home of Andrew Mulindwa at Nalugala village in Katabi town council and stole the number plates from a Mercedes Benz reg. No UAM 285Z. They further shattered the windscreen of another motor vehicle reg. No. UBB 850Y and vandalised it.
This was confirmed by Fred Enanga the police spokesperson who noted that with the help of Kingwajjo, they dropped letters threatening the Katabi town council chairperson and demanded sh2m. Other persons threatened in the letters include, JohnMary Luwaga the personal assistant to Katabi town council chairperson, Abbey Ssebbowa the chairperson for Abaita Ababiri cell and journalists operating from within Entebbe area.
Upon their arrest, a search was conducted at their known premises, and an assortment of house breaking implements were recovered and other threatening documents. They further led to the recovery of the stolen number plate UAM 285Z from a banana plantation at Nalugala village.
Regarding the arrest of a police officer, Enanga was not available for a comment on the next course of action while Luke Owoyesigire the Kampala metropolitan deputy spokesperson was unable to comment on the matter referring this reporter back to Enanga.
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