KAMPALA, Uganda (IP).
Authorities have confirmed that one of the guns recovered from suspects in the Katumba shooting case was also used in the 2017 assassination of police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
Kaweesi was gunned down in broad daylight on March 17, 2017, near his home in Kulambiro.
His bodyguard, Kenneth Erau, and driver, Godfrey Wambewo, were also killed when their vehicle was ambushed and sprayed with bullets.
The attack shocked the nation. More than 20 suspects were arrested at the time, but many were later released or granted bail after the case stalled in court.
Investigators say the new findings point to a well-organized criminal gang possibly behind multiple similar attacks.
Authorities now believe the group supplied weapons, recruited shooters, and coordinated missions across Kampala and nearby districts.
Following the 2021 shooting of Gen. Katumba Wamala, then Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech linked suspects to a broader network operating in areas including Nansana, Namuwongo, and Kawempe.
Some of the suspects were also tied to robberies, including the attack on Cheap General Hardware in Nansana and a bakery raid in Kiwatule.
Among those arrested were Siraje Kibirige, Fazil Kalyango, Hussein Sserubula (Imam Sserubula), and Abubaker Lubega.
Security reports describe them as part of a mobile gang that executed coordinated hits and vanished without trace.
The group is believed to have been operating under the command of Sheikh Abdu Kadir Muwanga, a wanted cleric accused of helping to plan attacks.
Investigators say stolen money from robberies was used to fund operations, including buying motorcycles and weapons.
In one case, UGX 6.7 million taken from a businessman reportedly financed another mission.
The recovered gun is now considered key evidence not only in the Kaweesi and Katumba cases, but possibly in other unsolved killings.
Detectives are reviewing files, including the 2018 murder of former Buyende District Police Commander Muhammad Kirumira.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is reportedly reassessing charges against earlier suspects.
Earlier this year, lead prosecutor Juliet Harty Hatanga withdrew from the Kaweesi case, citing lack of progress.
This new link could revive efforts to bring the masterminds to justice.
Security officials say the gun’s recovery marks a breakthrough in unraveling the wider network.
Families of the victims remain hopeful that the truth is finally coming to light.
Ends/IP.
