Politics
Who Killed MP Abiriga? Parliamentary Committee Report Leaves Ugandans In Total Shock
The Human Rights Committee of Parliament has informed MPs that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) has hit a roadblock in the prosecution of the killers of Ibrahim Abiriga, the former Member of Parliament for Arua Municipality.
The committee revealed that the investigations have not yielded any clear leads, making it difficult to charge any specific individuals for the offense.Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, Fox Odoi, stated that the evidence collected so far does not implicate any particular person in the commission of the crime.
He further explained that the investigative team from the DPP is continuously evaluating the evidence on the file, but unfortunately, no significant progress has been made due to the lack of clear leads.More than four years after the tragic murder of Col Ibrahim Abiriga, the case remains unsolved, shrouded in mystery.
Records from the Criminal Investigations Directorate indicate that the available information about the murder includes a ballistic analysis report, a Scene of Crime report, mobile phone analysis, call printouts, and seven witness statements. However, these pieces of evidence provide inconsistent descriptions of the gunmen and the shooting incident.
On June 8, 2018, Abiriga and his brother, Said Butele Kongo, were fatally shot as they approached their home in Kirinyabigo, Kawanda, Wakiso District.The nature of the shooting resembled previous assassinations, including those of Muslim clerics, Major Muhammad Kiggundu, State Prosecutor Joan Kagezi, and Police boss Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
Despite analysing all the reports and findings from the crime scene, the investigators have been unable to make progress due to the lack of substantial evidence.Initially, a phone found at the crime scene was believed to be a significant lead that could help solve the murder. However, it later emerged that the phone was dropped by a 19-year-old resident of Kirinyabigo, who had rushed to the scene after the shooting.
The teenager was held in custody and extensively interrogated by the Internal Security Organisation for nearly two months but was eventually proven innocent.Witness statements indicate that two assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on the Volkswagen Beetle with registration number UBB 706D, in which Abiriga and Kongo were seated, until both of them were fatally wounded.
The murder of Abiriga and the lack of progress in the investigation continue to raise concerns, leaving many unanswered questions about the perpetrators and their motives.