Uganda Police has confirmed the arrest of four suspects to help them in investigations into the murder of a Muslim cleric in Bugiri on Friday evening.

Sheikh Masudi Mutumba, 60, the Iman for Lwemba Mosque in Lwemba parish, Lwemba sub-county in Bugiri district was shot dead as he returned home from prayers at around 9:45 pm on Friday.

However, according to the Busoga East region police spokesperson, James Mubi, a total of four suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the shooting.

He noted that the hunt for the prime suspect by the joint security team has kicked off and noted they will work around the clock to bring him to book.

“An exhibit (cartridge) of an AK 47 riffle was recovered and has been submitted to our forensic experts to establish which gun was used in committing the crime.”

In 2018, Police started the gun fingerprinting exercise all over the country after a directive by President Museveni.

According to experts investigators, using ballistic fingerprinting analyse, a fired bullet or casing for scratches under the microscope and the markings, just like for fingerprints are unique to each weapon.

The fingerprinting process involves firing various guns in a controlled area and each firearm tested, leaves a unique marking on the shell casing, and no two firearms will leave the same markings.

The casing is then entered into an acquisition station, where it acquires different images.

One, therefore, has a firing pin impression, an ejector mark, a breech face mark and each of these marks or impressions are unique, much like DNA for humans.

In case of any incident of shooting, the bullet shell is picked by investigators and analysed to find out the details of the gun used and its current owner.

This is the same exercise to be used in the Bugiri incident to find out who owns the gun used in the shooting.