Why have you kidnapped us , a helpless Nagirinya asked.. she was hit with a car jerk on the head continuously

One of the men who participated in the kidnap and subsequent murder of Maria Nagirinya,  and  her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa in 2019.

Isaac Ssenabulya, alias Kisunsu was on Wednesday sentenced to 40 years imprisonment in the kidnap of Nagirinya, a former employee of Community Integrated Development Initiative  from her gate in Busega Lungujja together with her driver, Kitayimbwa ,killed them and bodies later recovered in Mukono.

Ssenabulya who has since been turned into a state witness told court that on the fateful day, he was told  by their gang leader, Copriyam Kasolo, alias Arsenal that he had somewhere to pick money later that night and wanted to be escorted.

“Kasolo with Manomano(Johnson Lubega alias Rasta) told me there was a deal for us to get money and asked me to join them to make that money. I didn’t bother to ask  how we were to get the money,”Ssenabulya testified.

In his testimony,  the 20 year old told court that later that night while at their base in Kisoolisooli ghetto, two boda bodas ridden by Nassif Kalyango alias Muwonge (22) and Hassan Kisekka alias Masadda arrived and was asked to sit on one being ridden by Muwonge.

He said he sat with another person whom he says was never arrested by security as Kasolo and Lubega sat on the one ridden by Kisekka as they headed to Lungujja for the mission.

However, as they rode to Lungujja, the boda boda on which Kasolo was riding moved slightly ahead of theirs.

“Kasolo’s boda boda was ahead of us. By the time we arrived, they had forced themselves into the vehicle which had been parked infront of the gate( hooting to be opened for). Kasolo asked me to join them in the vehicle.”

The two boda bodas returned to Nateete.

What did we do wrong? Do you want money?

According to the witness, on entering the vehicle, two unidentified persons , a male and female had been forced in the back seats of the vehicle and as Kasolo sat in the driver’s seat, Manomano(Lubega) sat behind with the captives.

He said in the vehicle were now five people including the two captives.

“I found a lady and a man but I didn’t know them. The two had been put in the behind seats with Kasolo driving and Manomano behind guarding the two.They were forced to lie down on the car seats  and we sat on them. Myself and Manomano sat on them,”Ssenabulya testified.

“They were asking what crime they had committed. They asked if we wanted money or anything. Kasolo asked the lady if she didn’t know why they had been captured. She responded that she didn’t know and Kasolo didn’t reply.”

In the chilling account of the events on the fateful day, the state witness told court that Kasolo then asked if the lady had any money on her to which according to Ssenabulya she responded in the affirmative.

 

“She said she had shs70,000 in cash and another shs400,000 at home. Kasolo said they couldn’t afford to return to her home.”

The witness told court that they rotated around the city before they headed towards Mukono side.

Hit on head with car jerk

According to Ssenabulya, in Mukono, they reached a place he didn’t know and Kasolo stopped the vehicle on the roadside.

“Kasolo then opened his door and came opened the others. He got out the man and then locked the doors again. He asked Manomano to join him as I stayed guarding Nagirinya I later saw Manomano get a big log that he gave Kasolo that he hit the man before the body was lifted and placed in a nearby valley,”Ssenabulya said.

The witness told court that in a short while, Kasolo returned, opened the door and asked the lady to get out.

“He opened the car boot and got out a jerk. I was also asked to go out. I was asked to step on waist so that she could not move. Kasolo started hitting her head with the car jerk continuously. After sometime when the lady could not move, the two carried her body and placed is near where the man’s.”

Ssenabulya told court that they drove back to Nateete and Manomano was tasked to withdraw the money from their victims’ phones whose pin codes they had forced them to reveal while still in the vehicle.

In Nateete, the group abandoned the vehicle at Kigagga zone.

The witness however insisted that he never knew anything about the mission until the fateful day when Kasolo asked him to escort them to get money.

“Arsenal(Kasolo) planned this mission. I was just asked to join and our aim was to get money,” he said.

The trial judge, Isaac Muwata adjourned the case to today, Thursday for further hearing.

Charges

The group including , Copriyam Kasolo, alias Arsenal, a shoe hawker in Nateete; Johnson Lubega alias Rasta unemployed; Nassif Kalyango alias Muwonge and Hassan Kiseeka alias Masadda both boda-boda riders in Kitaka Zone in Nateete and Sadat Kateregga’s alias Baros face charges related to kidnap, aggravated robbery and murder of Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa which happened in 2019.

Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya and Timothy Emeri lead the prosecution by the state whereas Julius Sserwambala is the lawyer for the accused.