The Southern Buganda regional police spokesperson said they are still trying to locate other suspects in the killing of Top Radio reporter Paul Kiggundu.
(HRNJ-Uganda/IFEX) – Police in Rakai district have arrested five suspects in connection with the murder of Top Radio reporter Paul Kiggundu.
On 11 September 2010, commercial motor bikers, locally known as bodabodas, pounced on Kiggundu when he was covering the demolition of the homestead of a suspected motorbike thief, Frank Kagayi, whom the bodabodas accused of killing one of the their colleagues, Eddie Sengooba.
The arrested suspects are Joseph Lubega and Katumba Geoffrey, both bikers from Betherehem stage, Buberwa Gerald, a biker from Kasambya stage, Peter Claveri, a biker from Total B stage locally known as Mulokole, and Sande Ibra, from Finca stage. All these places are located in the Rakai district, in the Southern Buganda region.
The Southern Buganda regional police spokesperson, Noah Sserunjogi, told the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that the suspects would be arraigned in court in the near future. He added that they were still hunting for other suspects in the murder, who have deserted their places of work since Kiggundu’s death.
No arrests, however, have been made in connection with the murder of another journalist, Dickson Ssentongo, a news anchor with the Seventh Day Adventist Church-based Prime Radio in the Kirekka Wakiso district of the Central Buganda region. Ssentongo was beaten by assailants wielding metal bars in the wee hours of 13 September while he was on his way to work.
The district police commander in the area, Alphonse Musoni, said, “Nobody has come out to volunteer any information in relation to the murder. However, we are proceeding with the investigations.”
HRNJ-Uganda commends the police for the arrests that have taken place thus far but cautions against delaying the trial of the suspects.
