Uganda Police Force has admitted that its officers shot and killed Police Ronald Ssebulime, a wrongly suspected assassin moments after he was captured alive.
Ssebulime was shot dead on Sunday along the Kayunga-Mukono after State Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Aida Nantaba on Sunday reported to Naggalama police Station that two suspected assassins that was trailing her using a motorcycle.
Police had earlier reported that the deceased lost his life when Police fired several shots in their direction, to cause them to surrender, but all in vain.
Eye witnesses would however reveal that Ssebulime was captured alive and put on handcuffs but was moments later removed from the police pickup and instantly shot dead by a police officer.
Police Spokesperson CP Fred Enanga on Wednesday withdraw the force’s earlier statement, explaining that its officers ”concealed the true facts of the events surrounding the killing of Ssebulime Ronald.
Enanga revealed that the officers have since been arrested.
“We are now holding the officers accountable for murder, conspiracy and for professional misconduct,” he said.
According to relatives, Ssebulime was going to visit his children at school, when the unfortunate incident occured.
The deceased was laid to rest at their ancestral home in Mubende District on Wednesday.
Read Police’s full statement:
We regret that our initial media release of Sunday, 24th March 2019, surrounding the drive by threats by Hon. Idah Nantaba was not totally accurate. The true facts are that on Sunday, 24th March, 2019 the Hon. Minister Idah Nantaba while buying fruits at a roadside market around Ssinda, located 6 km after Sezibwa bridge, saw a motor cycle rider, who from her instincts, appeared to be a dangerous person. The rider who was inquiring about the location of Kabimbiri, immediately after sped off at a high speed, towards Mukono direction, but was given a chase by the Hon Minister, up to Nagalama Police Station, where she alerted the police and also dropped her bodyguard. She again tried to give the suspected rider a further chase in the direction of Mukono, but all in vain.
However, the 999 crew from Mukono that responded to the earlier emergency call from Nagalama police station, intercepted the alleged suspects after they hit a road hump and fell off. The crew concentrated on the rider Ssebulime who was carrying a bag, chased and after a few warning shots in the air, the suspect stopped and surrendered to the police, who arrested and led him to the police vehicle. The stranger, whom he was carrying, to guide him to St. Andrew Kaggwa for visitation, also disappeared and was not traced. It is true that the deceased was removed from the police pickup and instantly shot dead by our officer.
The police has arrested the car commander and 02 crew members to the “999” patrol vehicle, under Registration number UP5745, for trying to conceal the true facts of the events surrounding the killing of Sebulime Ronald, after they submitted false reports about what really happened upon intercepting the suspects at Nagojje trading center, on Sunday the 24th March 2019. The arrested officers include; No. 51543 Cpl Ssali Edward, who was the car commander, No. 50162 PC Opira Ronald and No. 5729 PC Baganza Ronald. The other crew member No. 62163 PC Cherotich Robert is still absent but wanted. The team had responded to a complaint of a drive-by threat by the Hon Minister of State for ICT, Aida Nantaba.
The Police created a joint team of investigators from the Kampala Metropolitan East Region and Homicide squad from CID headquarters, who upon further scrutiny of the incident established new findings. We can now certainly say that, what was first reported as a typical police shooting story, where perceived dangerous suspects were shot at during a pursuit, is established to be a straight forward case, of murder. We are now holding the officers accountable for murder, conspiracy and for professional misconduct.
We are also using the incident as a test of leadership against the territorial commanders, who failed to detect the true reality of what happened on that day, and forwarded a report that was not accurate, to their superiors.
We once again extend our sympathies to the family of Ssebulime Ronald, who was shot and killed by our officer. His cause of death was due to hemorrhage following gunshot wounds.
The exhibits of a bag with eats and drinks belonging to the deceased; and the police guns have been recovered, to aid in our investigations.
The police does not condone any acts of extrajudicial nature, reason why we are holding the suspects accountable for the death of Ronald Ssebulime. We also want to thank the residents of Nagojje trading centre and the media for boldly bringing out the facts, about what really happened. Without their concern, this would have been one case where the narrative from our first responders could have defeated justice.
CP Enanga Fred
Police Spokesperson
27th March 2019
