Joint task force formed to investigate murder of UCU student

Security agencies of CID, CI, KMP, CMI, ISO have created a joint task force to investigate the murder of Batungura Bewotti, a 27-year-old, Law student of UCU, which occurred on 14.07.2022, during the final round of the Guild Presidential Campaigns, at Makerere University.

CP Enanga Fred the Police Spokesperson says the facts gathered so far indicate that the victim was fatally wounded by a blow from a broken glass bottle, which caused the sharp force injury, on the right side of the neck, after he was attacked near Nsibirwa Hall junction.

The victim rushed to the washrooms at Nsibirwa Hall, where his colleagues picked up and rushed him to the University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was hemorrhagic shock following sharp force trauma.

Enanga says the incident remains under investigation by the Joint Specialist teams, part of which is to examine the possible linkages to the aggressive behaviour of both external groups ferried into the campaigns and the student brigades created from within the University.

So far, 3 suspects including; the MP Kassanda Hon. Kabuye Frank, Ssekiddde Allan and Kabuurwa Muzafaru, are being charged in court, with incitement to violence, as security consolidates the facts surrounding the brutal murder.

“Further efforts are in place to trace all the other external perpetrators of violence, who are still at large. We are also interesting ourselves in the student brigades of North Coat Revolutionary Army (NRA), RAT Guard Brigade (RGB) and Oxegeble Guard Brigade (OGB), who are hired during political and social activities at the university,” said Enanga on Monday.

Adding that “the victim who had come to rally support for his former high school friend, Tukamushaba Justus, the Guild Presidential Candidate on FDC ticket was part of the North Coat Revolutionary Army, that was guarding the FDC candidate. While the NUP candidate was being guarded by the RAT Guard Brigade. It is this group that allegedly sparked violence as they were leaving the venue for the incoming FDC group.”

Meanwhile, the NRM candidate was being guarded by the Oxegeble Guard Brigade. The police mouthpiece says the CCTV footage, other video footage and accounts from witnesses have enabled them to generate lists of perpetrators of the violence.

“As we remember Batungura Bewotti, we call upon all stakeholders to come together with a common goal of stopping such kinds of tragedies, which simply expose the ideologies we hold. There is no justification whatsoever, for such acts of violence in Universities. We should instead have empathy, care and compassion for one another,” he added.

Enanga says that as security agents, they will continue working with the University in stopping the toxic culture of violence at different campuses; through physical violence education and prevention programs.