(Kampala) – Photographs of a vehicle allegedly used in the 2018 kidnapping and murder of Susan Magara were shown in court on Monday as part of the prosecution’s evidence. The photos were admitted by High Court Judge Alex Mackay Ajiji, who is presiding over the trial in the Criminal Division. Detective Sergeant Moses Lule, who took the photographs, testified that the car was recovered from a garage linked to one of the suspects.
Magara, 28, was the daughter of businessman John Magara. She was abducted on February 7, 2018, along Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo while driving home to Lungujja, approximately three kilometers from where she was last seen. Her kidnappers demanded a ransom of $1 million (about UGX 3.65 billion) from her family. Despite receiving $200,000 (about UGX 700 million), the kidnappers killed Magara, and her body was found dumped in Kigo, Wakiso District, on February 27, 2018.
On Monday, Detective Lule told the court that police found the car in Isaac’s garage in Nalukolongo, Rubaga Division, Kampala, on May 2, 2018. He explained that a suspect, Yusuf Lubega, one of the nine people currently on trial for Magara’s kidnapping and murder, directed the police to the garage.
According to Lule, the car in question was a Toyota Carina with the registration number UAK 140U. He noted that police officers from Old Kampala Police Station, led by Senior Superintendent Johnson Olal, coordinated with officers from the Flying Squad and conducted the search. They documented the search, and Lule personally photographed the car at the scene.
Lule testified that the car’s front tires were missing, and it had been placed on stones. The vehicle’s engine was removed and stored in the car’s trunk. “I took the photographs of the vehicle, a search certificate was prepared, and we towed the vehicle to Nateete Police Station for safekeeping,” Lule said.
This testimony was given under the guidance of chief state attorneys Sherifah Nalwanga, Joseph Kyomuhendo, and Irene Nakimbugwe, who are leading the prosecution team in this case. The defense lawyers, John Kabagambe, Richard Kumbuga, Simon Peter Wanda, and Zaina Nabukenya, questioned Lule regarding whether he documented Lubega’s role in guiding the police to the garage in his initial report. Lule clarified that he did not include this information because it was based on a briefing from his supervisor.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants, including others still at large, kidnapped Susan Magara on February 7, 2018, with the intent of extorting a ransom.
| Key Details of the Magara Kidnap Case | Information |
|---|---|
| Victim | Susan Magara, 28, daughter of businessman John Magara |
| Date of Abduction | February 7, 2018 |
| Location of Abduction | Kabaka Anjagala Road, Mengo, Kampala |
| Ransom Demanded | $1 million (UGX 3.65 billion) |
| Ransom Paid | $200,000 (UGX 700 million) |
| Date and Location of Body Recovery | February 27, 2018, in Kigo, Wakiso District |
| Car Used | Toyota Carina, registration UAK 140U |
| Date of Car Recovery | May 2, 2018 |
| Location of Car Recovery | Isaac’s garage in Nalukolongo, Rubaga Division, Kampala |
| Number of Suspects | 9, including Lubega and others linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) |
Lubega is one of nine suspects on trial, including Hajarah Nakandi, Ismail Bukenya, Mahad Kisalita, Muzamir Ssali, Hassan Kato, Hussein Wasswa, Abubaker Kyewolwa, and Abbas Musa Buvumbo. So far, 33 witnesses have given testimonies in this case, with the trial set to continue on Friday.
According to the indictment, the accused allegedly kidnapped Magara and sought a ransom to secure her release. The scheme is said to have been planned by Yakub Byensi, a former combatant with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who was acquainted with Magara’s family. Lubega, who previously worked with Magara’s mother at Container Village, allegedly provided insider information that aided the kidnapping.
The prosecution states that the accused followed Magara closely before abducting her. The group allegedly took her first to Nakandi’s residence in Nateete and then to Bukenya’s home in Konge II, Makindye. During her captivity, her captors reportedly cut off two of her fingers and sent them to her family to threaten them into paying the ransom.
The indictment further indicates that the kidnappers killed Magara because releasing her would have exposed their identities. The prosecution alleges that the ransom was partially used to purchase multiple plots of land in Buikwe and Luweero Districts.
