Police in Masaka have summoned Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya and Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana for questioning over their alleged involvement in the ongoing killings in Greater Masaka region.
The development comes at a time when joint security agencies are trying to put one and two together on what could be the cause of the killings that have since snuffed out 28 lives in just one month.
The assailants whose motive is yet to be established have also injured several others. They have mostly been targeting the elderly from 50 years and over.
“The directorate of criminal investigations is investigating some murders that took place in Greater Masaka in the months of July and August 2021. This serves as summons for you to appear at Masaka Police Station on Monday 6th September, 2021, at 10:00hrs before deputy D/SSP Moses Taremwa for a statement on the said investigations,” reads the summon served separately to the two legislators, copies seen by Daily Monitor.
On Tuesday while addressing journalists at the Media Centre, Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Mr Chris Baryomunsi, said the killings were linked to politics.
“What seems to come out is that these people are being used by some politicians to create fear among the population,” ICT and National Guidance minister, Mr Chris Baryomunsi said Tuesday.
The minister told journalists that the motive of the said politicians was to paint a bad image of the government.
“They want to cause fear among the people so that the population can say that the NRM government has failed to protect them,” he added.
Mr Baryomunsi‘s statements, however, irked a section of legislators representing the Greater Masaka in Parliament, who rubbished the claims and demanded that the minister apologises for making such “reckless statements” before the nation.
The legislators instead blamed the government for not doing enough to protect the citizens.
On Tuesday while presenting a statement on the floor of Parliament, Internal Affairs state minister, Gen David Muhoozi, said 69 suspects had so far been arrested in connection to the killings.
On Wednesday, 10 of the suspects were arraigned in court and charged with murder and attempted murder.
More suspects are being arrested as security continues to pitch camp in the area. As of Monday, no murder has been reported, unlike the past weeks where a death or two would be reported every morning. However, on Wednesday 61-year-old Maria Nakyanzi, a resident of Kyango-Kazo cell in Kasaali Town Council, Kyotera District survived death by a whisker when an unknown assailant attacked her and cut her hands as she was preparing to enter her house at about 7pm.