The murder of former Police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi was after a clandestine meeting which is sought to have even been attended by his driver, Geoffrey Mambewa and the slain police boss’ mistress Christine Muhoza Mbabazi.
Kaweesi, his body guard Kenneth Erau, and driver Mambewa, were shot dead on March 17 in Kulambiro, Kampala.
Now, Internal Security Operatives have found out that Kaweesi’s driver was stupidly convinced that he would also be killed in the car. His part in the plot was flash the lights when the car reached the murder spot. This was intended to alert the killers that Kaweesi was in the backseat of the car.
The driver also had to hurriedly stop the car in the middle of the road so the assailants finish Kaweesi without having a chance to fire back or run away. This was also to allow the driver to jump out of the car unharmed so that he could pick his hundreds of millions once the job is executed.
This new evidence answers questions why the car in which Kaweesi was sprayed with bullets had lights on during daytime? Moreover when they shoot multiple bullets at it, the car was in stationary in the middle of the road. ISO detectives insists all that was planned – the car lights were turned on by the driver to alert the gunmen that Kaweesi was in the car and as well parked in the middle of the road. What the driver did not thoroughly think about was that the people who had approached him to play part in the killing had also decided to finish him as well just in case he spilled the secrets after surviving.
It has also been found out that Christine Mbabazi was among the aces of the plot to kill Kaweesi alongside some big people in Uganda Police Force. This is the reason why Police has been fighting to ensure that Mbabazi doesn’t fall in the hands of ISO who want to get more evidence from her. They say that Mbabazi after taking part in the mission was paid around Shs200 million which she used to purchased the house in Ssendawula zone, Lungujja, Rubaga division, where she is currently detained.
Mbabazi in an interview this week revealed that ISO boss Col. Frank Bagyenda Kaka took her to a hotel, Tal Cottages in Lubaga recently and pinned her to planning and taking part in the Kaweesi killing, claiming that after the job, she was paid very handsomely. At the Hotel, the ostensibly calm but deeply bitter old man, sipping on a beer at midday, cleared his voice, looked into Mbabazi’s eyes and started lamenting the ‘new charges’ brought to her name. “He told me I was a traitor who always knew who killed Kaweesi but kept it to myself,” she started.
ISO says that to get this evidence, they arrested a suspect, a boda boda cyclist who transported the gunmen to Kaweesi’s home. The planning meeting reported took place at certain restaurant in Lugogo, Nakawa Division.
Allegedly in the meeting were; Gen. Kale Kayihura, Kampala Metropolitan boss Frank Mwesigwa, Herbert Muhangi of Flying Squad, Col. Ndahura of Crime Intelligence, Nickson Agasiirwe and several other senior police officers all numbering to ten people!
Detectives on digging further discovered that the meeting actually happened days before Kaweesi was murdered. But Mbabazi refutes all this saying that ISO is witch hunting her.
The boda boda cyclist while in custody said that in the mission they executed, they were all assured of protection from a certain big shot in Police Force who they were told was the one that wanted Kaweesi killed. The cyclist claims that Kaweesi’s driver Mambewa was convinced that if he stopped the car, they shooters would kill Kaweesi alone, but he didn’t realize they planned to kill everyone in the car not to leave evidence behind.
Even though the Police forensics report showed that the vehicle Kaweesi was killed in, UP 4778 was shot in the hind tires to halt, this has been disputed by ISO detectives insisting that such an expensive four wheel vehicle can move a considerable distance even on a flat tire.
ISO correlated this and more evidence to figure out that Kaweesi’ driver Geoffrey Mambewa could have been part of the murder plot, had stopped the car intentionally thinking he was to survive and enjoy millions or even if arrested, would receive protection and be acquitted of any charges by a top Police officer who masterminded the killing.
But the arrest of Mbabazi has created a new twist to the case, with ISO now fighting with Police over her custody. Mbabazi’s arrest reportedly followed a four-month trail of leads by ISO operatives.
ISO claimed Mbabazi had vital information regarding Kaweesi’s murder, and they offered her protection because some people were after her life. Having been Kaweesi’s mistress and known to many security operatives, the source said, ISO could easily find links between Mbabazi and police officers she would regularly talk to. But Mbabazi insists she was being coerced by Col. Kaka to pin senior police officers over the murder of Kaweesi.
After a month, Mbabazi on October 12 called Old Kampala and Nateete police stations for rescue. She reported a case of kidnap and threatening violence by what she called ‘armed men’. In an operation commanded by the Flying Squad Unit (FSU) commandant, Herbert Muhangi, Police rushed to Mbabazi’s rescue, only to find that the ‘armed men’ were ISO operatives.
A stand-off ensued as ISO operatives denied Police access to Mbabazi’s house. It was during this stand-off that nearly resulted into a fire exchange that the Special Forces Command (SFC) was informed of the impasse. SFC eventually deployed officers who prevailed over the situation. Security sources, however, revealed that the fight over the protection of Mbabazi has traces of the hostility between the police chief (Kayihura) and the security minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde. After Kaweesi’s murder, Police arrested an ISO operative, Lt. Godfrey Musisi together with his wife Grace at their home in Namugongo, Wakiso. Musisi, 52, was released and he claimed that Police had promised him sh1b to pin Tumukunde in the murder.
Kaweesi family wants Mbabazi grilled by ISO
Some family members of the late Kaweesi say that Mbabazi should be grilled further because they also did not understand her motives for so long.
Mr. Leo Ruhinda, Kaweesi’s brother who also served as his ADC or Personal Assistant revealed that the family has for months now been distressed by the way Police was handling the murder investigations and they would prefer the responsibilities handed over to the unbiased ISO under Col. Kaka.
He also added that in the hunt to get Kaweesi assailants, the family expected detectives to also question some Police bosses he had misunderstandings with at work and outside, which has not been done.
Ruhinda says that they used to notice Ms Mbabazi for so long clinging on Kaweesi and other spy chiefs.
He says that if ISO has discovered the above evidence on the case that needs more confessions from Mbabazi, Police should support them so as to get truth and justice about how their (Police) man was murdered.
Ruhinda is being supported by other family members in Kitwekyanjovu, Kyazanga in Lwengo District who cry that it has been seven months since their son was murdered but Police has not handle a convincing investigation.
Until last week, there were 22 suspects Police arrested over Kaweesi’s murder. They were charged at Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court and remanded to Luzira Prison.
