Two prosecution witnesses have come forward to testify that they witnessed one of the suspects, Abubaker Kyewolwa, picking up a bag containing the ransom demanded by the kidnappers. The incident took place in Ndejje-Kanaaba, Makindye-Ssabagabo, Wakiso District, shedding light on the events surrounding this tragic case.
On February 24, 2018, at approximately 10:00 am or 11:00 am, Mr. Wasswa Ssegawa, a builder and resident of Kanaaba-Ndejje Village, was engaged in a conversation with three others when they observed Kyewolwa, one of the suspects, leaning on a container while talking on the phone. Although Kyewolwa appeared new to the area, they initially paid little attention to him.
However, their attention was quickly drawn to a lady walking with a backpack and a mobile phone, which she placed in the middle of the road. This lady bypassed Kyewolwa, who was wearing a hooded jumper, though his face and beard were visible. To their astonishment, Kyewolwa picked up the bag and the phone, then walked towards Ndejje-Zanta.
Witness Ssegawa and others shouted at Kyewolwa, inquiring about the lady’s bag. Kyewolwa responded that they were together. This unexpected event left them perplexed. They did not engage further until later when the police contacted them during the investigation.
Abubaker Kyewolwa faces joint charges along with eight other individuals in connection with the abduction and murder of Susan Magara, who worked as a Cashier at Bwendero Dairy Farm. The other suspects include Yususf Lubega, Hussein Wasswa, Muzamiru Ssali, Hajara Nakandi, Mahad Kisalita, Hassan Kato Miiro, Ismail Bukenya, and Musa Abbas Buvumbo.
Another witness, Ms. Jane Makumbi, a housewife, testified that in February 2018 around 11 am, while she was washing clothes, she saw a tall, slim lady drop a bag and a phone in the middle of the road. Although she did not witness the person who picked up the bag, she later learned that others had observed a man collecting the bag and the phone.
Mr. Frank Nyakairu, an investigator with the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), also gave testimony. He mentioned that he became familiar with all the suspects after receiving information that the kidnappers had contacted Susan Magara’s mother. This crucial information led to the tracking of the suspects via phone records, subsequently leading to their arrests.
These testimonies were presented before High Court Judge Alex Ajiji, shedding light on the prosecution’s case. The prosecution alleges that on February 7, 2018, the suspects, including those currently incarcerated and others still at large, kidnapped Susan Magara, a cashier at Bwedero Dairy Farm, with the intention of procuring a ransom or benefiting from her release to avoid her being murdered.
