Kayihura says police has made a breakthrough in Masaka machete attacks

The Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura says the force has made a major breakthrough in the investigations concerning recent attacks by machete wielding men in Masaka region recently.

On the new year’s day, machete wielding thugs attacked villages including; Kisojjo, Kyabagoma and Kyamabaale in Kibinge Sub County in Bukomansimbi district and Kiryasaaka found in Kkingo Sub County in Lwengo district  killing five people including a retired senior officer and injuring twelve others.

Gen.Kayihura has since camped in the area supervising investigations into the attacks.

Addressing journalists on Monday, the police chief said the breakthrough is not only in the recent attack but also in the attacks that occurred in 2016 in the same greater Masaka area.

“The investigations have established that the gang responsible for this year’s attacks also carried out the earlier attacks in 2016,”Kayihura said.

“Police arrested some suspects before taking them court but some of them were released on bail. On release, they regrouped and continued with their criminal activities.”

When he visited Masaka last week, President Museveni blamed the attacks in Bukomansimbi and Lwengo districts on poor neighbourhood watch and thin police on ground.

Museveni said that when the thugs raided the area, some survivors sought for help but could not get it since majority of the people were busy in bars drinking alcohol to celebrate the New Year.

However, according to the police chief, they have since arrested Musa Galiwango, a man suspected to be the ring leader of the group terrorising the area and was arraigned before court in Masaka on Monday.

“There are still other members of the gang still at large whereas there are other groups operating independently but we have achieved something tangible as far as fighting this crime is concerned,”Kayihura said.

He however re-echoed the need for community policing and neighbourhood watch as the ways to help fight crime in the country citing the recent women murders in Entebbe which were solved partly because of neighbourhood watch.

A number of people have in the past couple of years been arrested following attacks by machete wielding men in the greater Masaka sub- region but many questions have remained unanswered following the resumption of the attacks.

The attacks have also raised a number of questions on the ability of police to protect the citizens in the wake of the accusations by president Museveni that police is infiltrated by criminals.