Uganda: Gun used in Mobile Money killings linked to soldiers

The gun that was used in the killing of two Mobile Money agents in Entebbe Municipality belonged to Uganda Peoples Defence Force, sources have said.

Quoting findings from a ballistic analysis report, a police source close to ongoing investigations into the killing of the people in Mpala, Katabi Town Council on October 9 and February 24, on Monday said the killer gun was linked to the two incidents.

Sources say four unidentified gun samples were picked up from the crime scenes and upon examination, they discovered that they had PK machine gun cartridges. When the samples were taken to the police gun data bank at the forensics in Kampala, the detectives found that the gun was not forensically fingerprinted.

According to detectives from Entebbe police, PK machine guns are a preserve of the military. The sources also told Daily Monitor that prior to the two killings, the army leadership had reported a case of a missing gun to police in Entebbe in 2018.

Lt Col Deo Akiiki, the deputy army spokesperson, yesterday said: “I am wondering how I should comment about it (gun) because if it is a case that is being investigated, I don’t normally comment on such cases because it will jeopardise investigations.”

“I really couldn’t confirm or deny that information because I am not privy to the findings. We have not been given those findings so it is very difficult for me to comment unless the investigators tell us that it is a PK machine gun…”

When asked about the case of a missing gun on March 30, Lt Col Akiiki referred our reporter to the police authority.

The deputy police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan area, Mr Luke Owoyesigire, without disclosing information in the report, said one suspect was arrested and investigations are ongoing.

“We cannot reveal the details of the suspect and the level of his involvement in the crime because we are still looking for the prime suspect,” Mr Owoyesigire said.

On the issue of the PK gun that was reported stolen from the military in Entebbe, Mr Oweyesigire didn’t have details.

However, he disclosed that there was a gun stolen from Kigo in 2018 when Gen Kale Kayihura was still in charge of the police force.

The President in 2018 ordered the fingerprinting of all guns used by security forces. This was after the killing of then Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga. Police have since fingerprinted 90 per cent of their guns. The army has since promised to do the same after all other security agencies.