Two Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers have been arrested in Jinja

The identities of the two soldiers are still being withheld by authorities, but the soldiers are in custody at Nalufenya Police Station. They have been linked to a series of armed robberies that have occurred in and around Jinja city.

After the two were arrested, it became apparent that there’s a rift between senior police officers and their UPDF opposite numbers over the arrest of the soldiers. The army wants the soldiers to be released immediately and unconditionally, which police has refused to do.

Kiira Region Police Spokesperson, James Mubi, confirmed the arrest of the two soldiers. He however refused to reveal who they are and what ranks they hold.

“Wait until they appear in court that is when you will get more details,” said Mubi.

Several crimes have been committed in Jinja city. During the festive season last year, a security guard at a fuel station in Jinja town was fatally gunned down by armed individuals.

It has been since been revealed that the killing of that security guard was linked to Gaddafi barracks when police sniffer dogs traced the criminals back to the said barracks.

There have been other criminal acts involving the army, too.

A week ago, three people, including a soldier and an External Security Organisation (ESO) operative, were arrested by police on suspicion of being part of a gang carrying out panga attacks in Kira division, Wakiso district.

The three suspects were identified as Alex Murungi, an ESO operative attached to Goli border, David Mukiibi, a businessman and an army officer Pte. James Owobushobozi attached to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) barracks in Mbarara district.

All the suspects were detained at Kira division Police station, pending investigations, Police said.

Their charge sheet read like a Stephen King novel with the frightening allegation that nine men armed with pangas, riding on three motorcycles, including two with government/security registration number plates (details withheld), intercepted residents of Lubugumu and Kiganda in Kira (Namugongo area) in Wakiso district, tortured and robbed them of their money and valuables on Monday.

To cast a wider investigative net, Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) joined the Police to get to the bottom of how Murungi left his work station in Goli, West Nile, to become a suspect.

The deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed the arrest and alleged attacks on civilians.

“All the three victims were cut with pangas and beaten up; they sustained injuries,” Owoyesigyire said.

According to Owoyesigyire, the gang of nine intercepted George Machar, 28, a carpenter and his brother, Silvernos Opala, 26, while on their way to Kiganda, in Wakiso.

So far, it has been revealed that the victims left for Kiganda, to meet their eldest brother, Emmanuel Joshua Okunyuku, a guard attached to a private security firm (name withheld) in Kampala, on Monday.

“The victims were intercepted by a group of nine men who were on three motorcycles, one with a civilian number plate and the other two with government number plates while dressed in civilian attire and armed with pangas, big torches, a stick, electric wires and batons,” Owoyesigyire said.