Forumists,
You may recall that, some time in 2007 officials of the Democratic Party (DP) announced that they were going to lauch the Scotland Yard Report on the murder of Dr Andrew Kayiira. That “report” was to subsequently cause them to be dragged to court by government on grounds of uttering a false document. Attached is that (DP) version of the Scotland Yard Report. It is pasted below for those that cannot open PDF documents:
SCOTLAND YARD REPORT THE MURDER OF DR ANDREW LUTAAKOME KAYIIRA: DEMOCRATIC PARTY VERSION
This report concerns enquiries into the murder of DR ANDREW LUTAKOME KAYIIRA, 46, former Minister of Energy for the Uganda government who at the time of his death on 6th March, 1987/ was residing at Lukuli-Konge a suburb of Kampala Uganda/ and the assistance given to the Uganda Police by detective chief Superintendent Thompson (serious Crime Branch) and Detective Sergeant Sanderson (Laboratory Liaison Officer) at the direct request of government of Uganda.
On 6th March, 1987, at about llp.m. Dr Kayira and his friend, Mr, Henry Gombya, a B.B.C stringer, were having dinner with Gombya’s wife Victoria Naava ,24 , and three other girls Josephine Babirye, 19, Julian Nabwire, 14, and Annet Namatovu, 23, when about 10 armed men stormed the compound and attacked the persons present.
At the time of the attack, it was dark and the house was without electricity due to power cuts and the only lighting was provided by a storm tamp hanging from the sidewall nearest where the occupants were having dinner.
Some of the attackers had torches and according to the witnesses at least three of the attackers had firearms, one an AK-47 sub-machine gun. Exactly what transpired will be examined in greater detail further in the report. Subsequent events show that Dr Kayiira was shot four times (two in the right arm and twice in the left side of the body) injuries from which he died.
Mr Gombya made his escape via the front security gate and hid in a banana plantation after first separating the sum of 40million shillings into two halves and throwing one half in a box into the banana plantation which adjoins the house. The remaining half was left for the attackers. None of the occupants of the house i.e the three girls were apparently injured, although Victoria Naava states that she was kicked and punched.
Background:
Uganda has since independence from Britain in 1962 been in regular unrest and in particular since 1971 when the Obote government was overthrown by Amin’s Ugandan Army.
Obote went into exile and formed an army called the UNLA (Ugandan National Liberation Army) and with assistance of the Tanzania Army overthrew Amin’s government inl979. In 1980, Obote held elections and the UNLA were retained. However, in 1985 Obote was overthrown by his commander Okello and the UNLA continued. In 1986 Okello was himself overthrown by the NRA (National Resistance Army) led by President Museveni. It was the 1980 general elections, allegedly rigged by Obote, that provided the reason for NRA to be formed and launch a guerrilla war. It was during the period of the guerrilla war that differences between Museveni who was leading NRA and Dr kayiira who was also leading a parallel guerrilla movement under the umbrella of UFA (Uganda Freedom Army) and its political wing/ the UFM (Uganda Freedom Movement) became apparent. Prior to that Dr Kayiira had served as Interior Minister in the short-lived government of Yusuf Kironde Lule. When Museveni overthrew the Okello government in 1986 Dr Kayiira joined forces with him. Despite Dr Kayiira being a member of Cabinet in Museveni’s government holding the portfolio of Energy Minister, there had been mistrust of him by the President as a result of which Dr Kayiira and other persons were arrested in October 1986 for allegedly plotting against the government and subsequently released by the court on February 24, 1987 due to lack of evidence.
Following his release Dr Kayiira had no where to turn to for a home. He briefly stayed with a relative in Nakasero and subsequently shifted to the home of his friend Mr Henry Gombya a B.B.C stringer who rented a four-bedroom house at Lukuii Konge/ a Kampala suburb.. It was at this house that the murder took place on March 6, 1987. The release of Dr Kayiira surprised some people and his subsequent murder led to strong rumours that his death was politically motivated and had been caused by the government’s hand. It is against this background that evidence surrounding the investigation into Dr Kayiira’s death must be viewed.
Scene of murder:
The scene of the crime is a three bedroom detached house standing within a large plot of fand with wire security fencing surrounding it. This fencing is also strengthened by bamboo canes. The height of the fence is 7 feet. The house itself is a one-storey type with balcony over the top of a garage attached to the side of the house. At the rear of the house there is a guest house and a kitchen. A drive way leads from the front of the house to a double door security entrance with the gate being 8 feet in height with spikes on the top..
The house is owned by Mr and Mrs Katongole who live opposite and had the house built for rent. Mr Gombya was the first tenant of the property.. The surrounding area is mainly bush country with plantations of banana. The villagers’ houses are mainly mud-lined walled huts and they live together in small communes drawn together only by the local village Chief and the elected Defence Resistance Leader. The conditions for the villagers are very primitive. Running between the various villages and outside the Gombya House is a small track which is overgrown and leads eventually to the Ggaba Road which in turn leads to Kampala, about six miles away.
To give some perspective of the area the reporting officer made house to house enquiries and in doing so had to walk or drive up to one mile away from the scene to ascertain information from possible witnesses. Investigations: On the night of the murder as already stated Gombya together with his wife and three other girls were having a meal when they were attacked by a number of men with torches and guns, upon seeing the attackers they ran into the house and locked themselves in their respective bedrooms. Dr Kayiira and Mr Gombya had separate rooms. The attackers, some according to the occupants were wearing combat trousers and in some cases shirts, shouted to the occupants to come out of the rooms. Also it is alleged that they asked where the doctor and the ‘UFM man’ was.
The attackers, according to witnesses and a reconstruction of the scene appear to have ordered the four girls out of their room where they had been hiding and after questioning them they were locked in the bedroom. They then fired a shot through the door of Gombya’s bedroom and then smashed or kicked open the door and entered. Gombya had decamped. According to Gombya, whilst the attackers were shouting at the occupants and kicking the door/ he in panic split Shs40 million which he had in his bedroom into two halves and threw Shs20 million into the banana plantation from the balcony leading from his room and left the remaining money in the bed for the suspects to steal. He then jumped from the balcony/ a height of 12 feet and ran down the driveway and on the second attempt managed to climb over the gate. He then hid in a banana plantation. Whilst this was happening the attackers were shouting to Dr Kayiira to open his bedroom door, which he did at the same time asking them what they wanted.Witnesses’ state that when Gombya escaped and was running towards the gates he was seen by one of the gunmen who raised the alarm and was told not to pursue him as the “UFM man” was in the house.
This would suggest that the gunmen knew that Dr Kayiira was staying at the house. Mr Gombya states that he hid in the banana plantation until about 6am when he returned to the house and discovered that his friend Dr Kayiira was dead. Police were eventually notified at Kabalagala Police Post some two miles away and arrived shortly after 7:30am.
A photographer and scenes of Crime Officer arrived soon afterwards. Scenes of Crime examination was always going to be difficult as prior to police arrival villagers and other persons from the surrounding areas had descended onto the premises and went inside the house to satisfy their curiosity, and pay their respects.
Postmortem
The pathologist, Dr Kakande of Mulago Hospital examined the body and confirmed that the cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds. He is very vague about the injuries and admits that he did not carry out a full post mortem examination but purely looked at the body and later allowed the relatives to bury the body. No cloth or blood samples were taken from the body/ which was buried on March 11 at Masulita, his village, about 30 miles from Kampala .
At the scene of the crime three bullets were found and a broken blood stained stick. In the banana plantation next to the house was found a cardboard box which contained the money left on the bed by Mr Gombya. Also found in the banana plantation was a cream coloured jacket/ a handbag belonging to Mrs Gombya containing correspondences. In the banana plantation-bush area found was a black briefcase belonging to Gombya and also a shoe. Correspondences from these items were also found strewn around.
Investigations by the Kampala C.I.D under the direction of Simon Mugamba (Director of C.I.D) and Senior superintendent Fideiis Ongom (Officer in charge) commenced and quickly established that Gombya had requested from Mr Henry Kateregga, a Kampala businessman Shs40 million very urgently. As a result of their investigations the police were contacted by a man named Emmanuel Sebbunza, 17, who informed police that he had been involved with the people responsible for the killing of Dr Kayiira and although not at scene at the time of the offence, he assisted them in its preparation. He further stated that he had been paid money for both his assistance and to keep quiet about who took part. He states that the motive was robbery as the persons involved in the offence knew that Dr Kayiira was at the house and further that a large amount of money was in the house. He states however that it was believed that Dr Kayiira had the money.
Mr Sebbunza further stated that arrangements for the offence were made at the shop of Muzeyi & Sons, Kampala , belonging to Mr John Katabazi, 28. Subsequently, on March,19 1987 Katabazi was arrested as were four of the 10 or so other participants. Robert magezi,20, Babi Katende, 20, Musisi Kizito Brain, 26, Kasirye, 26, Sylvester Wadda,26, Peter Kiwanuka, 19, and Backfire Kayongo, 19. All persons arrested have been interviewed and made statements but all deny being involved in the offence. One of those arrested in fact gives his alibi of being involved in another robbery at the time of the offence and therefore could not have been involved.
All accused, apart from the owner of the business premises (Katabazi) are apparently ex-UFM members/ who had served under Dr Kayiira. All persons were subsequently charged with the murder of Dr Kayiira and are at present remanded in custody.
On Thursday 26th March 1987, at the request of President Museveni-the Ugandan President I (Detective Chief superintendent Thompson) attached to the serious crimes Branch New Scotland Yard, together with Detective Inspector Sanderson, scenes of crime officer attached to the- Metropolitan Police Laboratory travelled to Uganda to assist the investigating officers because of the strong suggestions that the murder of Dr Kayiira was a ‘political’ one. On 28th march 1987; a briefing was’ obtained from the inspector General of Police Luke Ofungi, and also from the Mugamba.
Subsequent examination of the scene of the offence by the officers revealed the finding in Gombya’s room of a piece of metal (a bullet) and a piece of wood in Dr Kayiira’s room which fitted a missing piece on the door of Gombya’s bedroom which had probably been transferred on the foot of the suspect who had kicked the door down..
Blood samples had to be taken from the blood where the victim had died and also from blood found on the walls in both Gombya’s and Dr Kayiira’s rooms. Two tool mark casts were also taken from Gombya’s room. All these exhibits together with Dr Kayiira’s briefcase and the cardboard box which had contained the money together with the cream coloured jacket were sent by hand to the Metropolitan police Laboratory London for examination.
Also sent to the laboratory were three bullets and an empty cartridge case found at the scene. A bullet hole was also found in the garage door and although the bullet has not been recovered, it is known that Mr Gombya’s car was in the garage at the time and now has a burst tyre. Attempts are being made by the Uganda Police to recover the bullet from the car, which is still in the possession of Mr Gombya’s family, Fingerprints and palm prints together with control blood samples of all the suspects were also obtained and sent to the laboratory for examination, On 13th March 1987, Mr and Mrs Gombya flew out of the country. However, Mr Gombya recorded a statement which is reproduced here in its entirety:
Gombya statement
“On the night of March 6, 1987, I was seated alongside Dr Andrew Lutakome Kayiira, the former Ugandan Minister of Energy in the National Resistance Army (NRA) government, together with my wife Vicky and three of my nieces outside my home at Lukuli, about five miles outside on theKampala-Gaba road.
We had just had our supper and it was a few minutes after llpm. Dr kayiira was in a very jolly mood talking about the existing freedom in Uganda , how one could relax and have his supper outside his house at such a time unlike the case in the past recent years. As Vicky was preparing to remove the plates and dinner things, out of nowhere came men armed with very bright torches. They came from two directions. One group of about five men or more approached on one side while a similar number approached on the other.
They immediately ordered all of us not to move but immediately my wife and the three young girls took off in fright and entered the house, I remained rooted to my chair while one man pointed at Kayiira and said “That is the UFM (Uganda Freedom Movement) man. That is the UFM man”. On hearing this Kayiira slowly got up from his chair and walked towards the house entered the open door and made as if to close the door.
At this point one of the men who was holding an AK-47 sub-machine gun told Kayiira “If you dare lock the door, we are going to kill this one.” He then opened the door and I immediately rushed inside the house ran upstairs to our bedrooms in our one-storeyed house and locked myself inside. The moment I locked myself inside I opened the windows and raised the alarm by shouting to our neighbours to come and help us telling them that we had been attacked by thieves. On hearing my alarm the men immediately opened fire on my bedroom door and I quickly shut up.
They continued shooting and at the same time ordering me to open up. It was at this juncture that I thought that these were thugs who had come to steal. In the usual circumstances when thieves attack in Uganda , the safest way one can come out of this attack without a scar is for one to make available all the cash in the house and any other valuable items.
Shooting
Earlier that day 1 had received from my business associates Shs40millon which was partly to pay for some debts and for the running of my news agency in midtown Kampala . So when the thugs started shooting at my bedroom door I arranged some Shs20 million (they were in bundles of five million) and placed this money in an open box on my bed.
Then I slowly but fearfully opened another door in my bedroom that led to the balcony just outside my room and putting the rest of the money in the bag threw it into a neighbouring banana plantation where I found it quite safe the next morning. All this time the thugs were trying to knock down my door, They had stopped shooting at it and were now trying to kick it open. After throwing the money into the banana plantation/ I scaled the bedroom balcony and finally jumped down in front of the garage door and ran towards my security gate. But mid way to the gate, I found one thug who was apparently unarmed.
He immediately spotted me and shouted to his colleagues/ “He is running/ He is running away!.” But while I did not: hear any gunshot directed towards me as I was continuing to run towards the gate, I was later to learn from my wife that the gunmen inside the house shouted back at their colleagues that” No, he is not the one. We have the UFM man here.” On reaching the gate I made an attempt to jump over it but because of its height (its about seven feet high) I fell down and only managed to jump over it on the second attempt. Once outside the gate I blindly ran towards the neighbours with the thought of trying to wake them up and ask them to hide me inside their house. I came near my neighbour’s backyard and came to a barbed wire fence.
As I was trying to find the gate to this backyard about three mean-looking dogs jumped out of nowhere and started barking fiercely at me, Shaking with fright from head to toe I ran back and went hiding deep in the banana plantation. While hiding I remember hearing two gunshot going off inside my house but there was no sound whatsoever following them. I stayed in the banana plantation from about 11.30p.m. until after 5a.m. when I finally gathered enough courage to make my way back to my house.
As I approached the house I could see the door the thugs’ entered through still open with a gas lamp still lit in our kitchen. For that day and the one previous power in my house and that of my neighbours had mysteriously disappeared and we had been using gas and kerosene lamps.
Gripped by fear
There was total silence in the house and I could not see any movement. This scared me very much and I immediately thought everybody had been killed. Gripped by fear I immediately went back into hiding in the banana plantation but about 30 minutes later I again dared to go near the house. This time I used the other side of the fence to approach the house and it was here that I noticed for the first time that the thugs had cut through the wire fence and used it as their entrance to the house. I fearfully made my way to the open door that leads to the kitchen inside the house and entered. There was absolute silence one can equate to death.
Once inside I moved silently towards the steps leading to the bedrooms above and found nobody.. I then went down again to the kitchen and closed the kitchen door. Then I went up once again. On reaching the bedrooms I called out to no body particular saying “is there any body here? It is me. I have come back.” On hearing my voice my wife immediately opened the bathroom door and told -me “We are here but they have killed the doctor!” I immediately broke down in tears crying oh! It is him they have come for. They never came for money.
While I was crying I was walking towards Dr kayiira’s bedroom. I first saw the lower part of his body and when I continued inside the room/ I saw the rest of his body lying in a big pool of blood. I fell down on his body crying heavily but my wife immediately put a stop on this/ when she said/ “Please stop crying. These people are stiil around.” We then rushed back into the bathroom where we hid until 6.30am when we called the neighbours and later went to report the matter to the police.
I later learned that as they were struggling with Dr Kayiira who had made the fatal mistake of opening his bed room door and asking the thugs what they wanted, the attackers after learning he was not armed shoot him dead twice through the heart and twice on both hands.
After killing him they talked amongst themselves, once again according to my wife who overheard every thing they were saying from her hiding place in the bath room, that they had been ordered to take all documents belonging to Kayiira as proof that they had killed him. But in their haste to take these documents they also took mine including my car registration card. We however found these abandoned in banana plantation next morning but there was no trace of Dr kayiira”s documents. The majority of the attackers were dressed in NRA uniforms while others were dressed locally.
Suspicion immediately fell on NRA soldiers when on the Saturday morning as hundreds of people were flocking my house to view the body of Kayiira which was still lying in a pool of blood in his bedroom. Two soldiers one claiming to be coming from Lira in Northern Uganda and the other claiming to be from Lubiri army barracks in central Kampala claimed they had received the news of Dr Kayiira’s death as early as 5a.m. The soldier who claimed to be from lira told us he had received the news at 6a.m while returning from Lira.
The other one from Lubiiri army barracks said the soldiers in Lubiiri barracks had received news of Kayiira’s killing at 5a..m. At first we never realised the meaning of these different times of Kayiira’s death report. But as we were relating it to many other people/ including the Uganda police themselves/ we soon realised that the only people who knew about Kayiira’s death at 5am and 6am that Saturday were either us in house or Kayiira’s killers. We mentioned this fact to the police and we hope they followed it up.
On Saturday march 7, I asked the minister of internal affairs Paulo Ssemogerere whether it would be possible for the murder of Dr Kayiira. The minister agreed with the government to offer me protection following me that it would be better if I were given protection. SSemogerere made arrangements for policemen to guard our home and by the evening of that day two policemen armed with AK-47 machine guns arrived. They spent the whole night guarding us and left on Saturday assuring us they would be coming back that very evening.
By that time Dr Kayiira’s body had been removed from the house and taken to Mulago Hospital mortuary where it was later removed and kept at the medical school for embatment. On Sunday it was removed from the school and taken to Ggaba, to Dr Kayira’s sister. With my family and a handful of neighbours and relatives I stayed at my home waiting for police guard to arrive. By 9.30pm no policeman had turned up yet.
I immediately contacted the nearest police post at Kabalagala and it was there that I was told no arrangements had been made to avail me with security men that day, as far as they were concerned. Fear started mounting at home as the night deepened. After 10pm we decided to lock up the house and spend the night at Ggaba were Kayiira’s body was lying. At this place I met with Kampala district administrator, Commander John Kazoora and immediately told him about my fears especially the absence of the police security men I had been promised.
Guards’ presence
I told commander Kazoora that in my view, those who had killed Kayiira were likely to have been government enemies. I further told him, “If these people now return and shoot me dead, the government would find it quite difficult to prove it was not behind my death.” Kazoora agreed with me and said he was going to arrange for security guards to come to my house and there and then took off in his car. I waited for his return in vain and, with my family decided to spend the second night at Ggaba.
On Tuesday March 10 a memorial service was held at Rubaga Roman Catholic Cathedral. As hundreds of the people were filling past the body of Dr. Kayiira, a former minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Yusuf Lule government, Mr Robert Sebunya, went on the rostrum and asked me briefly to tell the congregation what had happened at my home during the attack. I was reluctant to do this as whenever I remembered the events of that Friday night.
I found it difficult to control my tears. But he insisted and I went on the rostrum and told the congregation that I agreed with the first news bulletin on radio Uganda that had given details of what had taken place at my home, But I told the congregation further, that I strongly objected to the version that was read on radio Uganda on Sunday march 8, giving a statement from the prime minister’s office in which he said the government believed that those who had attacked my home were simply robbers who had come to steal my money and who might have known the presence of that money in my house.
I further told the congregation that there was enough proof that those who attacked my home were far from having been robbers. ‘The government knows quite well that I always tell the truth. There were quite a lot of expensive things in the have taken had they been robbers I told them.. I was often interrupted by consistent applause from the congregation urging me to tell the truth and I conceded and explained everything as it had been during the attack.
Gombya narrates
But while I was giving this testimony in Rubaga cathedral/ I did not know that at that time that I was putting myself in an extremely difficult position which would later force me to flee my home country. Outside the cathedral as people were getting in their cars to escort the body to its final rest-place, friends of mine from the CID (criminal investigations department) headquarters Impala House/ Kampala approached me and advised me not to accompany the mourners to where they were going for the burial. Frankly speaking this threw me in a panic.
Mind you I had also realised that the police or the personnel had denied me protection although the Internal Minister had promised it. So at that time I had to find where to stay as I could not go back to my home. Finally, a friend of mine offered to put me in a car and from the church we drove right to his home. It was in this friend’s home that I stayed until I finally left Uganda but the three days I stayed there were nearly hell to me.
For while in hiding the military personnel went to my office in central Kampala and surrounded it. They placed armed soldiers at my office’s entrance and asked two reporters and other people in the offices where I was. The reason for the surrounding of my office was not given and one of the soldiers told somebody in my office that they wanted me to give a statement to the police about Kayiira’s murder.
When I was told this I knew there was something cooking. I had already given the written statement about the whole affair not mentioning the verbal statements I gave to the central offices including the director of CID Mr Mugamba, I do not know how many times. On Wednesday march 11, my contacts in the CID headquarters brought a very frightening message. They told me the CID chief had already finalised his statement to the President and his recommendation: Hold Henry Gombya immediately as first suspect! At first I thought this was a joke. But as the days went on several messages came to me from police sources advising me to seek protection from foreign embassies.
It was then that I called a friend of mine in the British High Commission, {Mr. Peter Penfold, and told him about the whole affair. Mr Penfold immediately turned down the request that I stay in his house until things cooled down. I agreed with him and I suggested I inform Minister Ssemogerere about my fears. This was on Thursday, March 12 and I went straight to his home near Ggaba very early that day.. Mr Ssemogerere expressed surprise that “anyone would suggest that I was involved in the killing of your friend”. As he put it, on that day when Dr Kayiira was killed Mr Ssemogerere was the only Cabinet minister who came to my house and saw Dr Kayiira’s body lying in a pool of blood. He told me he had been summoned to State House and told by the President that investigations into the murder of Dr Kayiira shall not be his responsibility and that he (Ssemogerere) should instead handle a group of people from Amnesty International who were expected in the country the following week. ” The minister promised he would contact the Inspector General of Police Mr Luke Ofungi to arrange for my protection. However, when I returned to my place of hiding things had turned from bad to worse. I must tell you here that to survive in Uganda , I have mainly depended on friends in the security services however expensive this has been to me.
Security intelligence
So the moment I got to my friend’s house this friend of mine from the CID was there and told me that my arrest was to take place any moment and that the security personnel had been ordered to start looking for me. I immediately sent my wife to the British High Commission and asked them whether they could by any chance have a car that was going to the airport the next morning.
Luckily enough they had one and on her return my wife purchased two return tickets for London mine in fictitious names. My wife had a lot of difficulties in getting a ticket in the names that did not appear on the passport.
But she soon got over this in her own way and returned armed with our tickets. But then trouble started when my friends including the CID said I would be arrested at the airport. We discussed a number of escape routes and all those present including my wife turned down the idea of getting out through Entebbe Airport . We started to panic, with my wife now in tears saying the only safe way was through the Kenya-Uganda border at Busia while our friends suggested I hire a boat through Lake Victoria that would put me on the shores of the lake at Kisumu. The arguments went on almost the whole night until I finally made up my mind that the safest way for me would be the airport. I reached this decision for mainly one fact, Earlier in the day I had contacted my BBC colleague in Nairobi Mike Wooldridge whom I told about my fears concerning my safety. I told Mike that I had received information from the Uganda CID that I would be arrested as a murder suspect. He found this difficult to believe until I told him I had been to Mr Ssemogerere’s house to brief him about this new development.
It was then that Mike volunteered to call Dr Besigye and find out from him whether I would really be arrested.. The answer he got from Dr Besigye was; I want to assure the BBC and Henry that we have no intention of arresting him nor have we even suggested he be suspected In any way in this killing”. Dr. Besigye further told Mike Wooldridge that I was free to go anywhere but added “He may be needed to give evidence”.
I had told Mike that the police had asked me to write a statement which I did and they had also taken a statement from my wife. I also told him that because I was still in a state of shock and especially because my wife was having nightmares ince the incident it would be better for us to go away for a rest and return to the country later on.. Mr Wooldridge replied that since Dr Besigye had assured me I was not wanted he did not see any reason why I should not rest.
Mike agreed with me that it would look like as if I was running away if I did not use the airport. Since in my heart I knew I was quite an innocent man who had just lost a great friend I did not see why I should try to leave the country as a criminal. My decision took everybody present by surprise! I remember some family friends even suggested that before I left for the airport it would be advisable if I consulted a “medicineman” first who would bless my trip. This I simpiy ignored as I had never used any “medicineman” in my life, Instead I knelt down and prayed for our trip and those we were leaving behind including the rest of my family.
The British High Commission lived up to their promise and on Friday 13 I was taken to the airport. We passed two roadblocks on our way to Entebbe and at each roadblock the diplomatic car stopped until it was waved on. At Entebbe we passed through the normal immigration procedures and had to wait at the airport for more than two hours before the flight took off for London via Rome .
Mind you I am quite a well-known man at the airport for I often leave the country and only a few people can say they do not know me. Immigration officials recognised me as did NRA officers who were checking the passengers. I told all these people that I was going for a brief holiday and even when I arrived in London I registered as a visitor with a sole purpose that if things cooled down for me and my wife would go back as soon as possible. In London , quite a number of people were interested to find out what had happened at my home.
I was interviewed on the BBC programme Talk about Africa and also the BBC TV programme News-night. But soon after my first interview the Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Ibrahim Mukiibi called the British High Commissioner in Kampala Mr Derek March to protest at what he called “the way your deputy helped a Ugandan journalist Henry Gombya to escape from Kampala”.Mr Mukiibi further told the British High Commissioner that I was “wanted” back in Uganda in “connection” with the killing of Dr Kayiira. Now all of a sudden the Uganda government had turned around and wanted me badly for the killing.
This immediately confirmed reports from my CID friends that all along/ the state was planning to arrest and was only bidding for the time. Before I left Kampala I handed a press release to newspapers giving my reasons for leaving the country. In the press release, I mentioned that although I had been forced by circumstances to leave the country I would be returning in a short time and also added “I remain loyal to the government as I have always been”.
The Uganda government’s protest to the British government has now changed all of that. There is no doubt “that if I returned to Kampala today only jail can save me from worse things. But now that the British government” has sent its CID officials to help the Uganda police in finding out who killed Kayiira I hope the truth will come out. Victoria Naava wife to Mr Gombya also recorded a statement which by and large replicated that of Mr Gombya in all material aspects. But of particular significance is the statement that she heard one of the attackers say; “that is the UFM man”.
The Investigating team also received evidence from some NRA soldiers from the 19th Battalion in Lubiri barracks which points to involvement of top NRA leadership and its lieutenants in the murder. According to these soldiers/ the murder of Dr Kayiira was planned days before his release. When the Directors of public prosecution (DPP) and CID jointly told government that there was no evidence to incriminate Dr Kayiira and several of co-accused in the alleged plot of treason this brief was received with a lot of reservations. The information obtained shows that the centre of operations for the said mission was the Central Brigade in Lubiri, Kampala .
Following protracted meetings commanders of the said Brigade detailed two NRA officers to carry out constant surveillance and trailing to determine where Dr Kayiira lived which people he moved with and which offices he frequented. The said commanders enlisted the services of one vicious NRA commander “Suicide Brewery” who was tasked to lead the operation. “Suicide Brewery” commands one of the NRA battalions in Northern Uganda,It was further revealed that “Suicide Brewery” led a group of 10 NRA soldiers who stormed the home of Mr Gombya ‘ on the night of 6th March 1987 and kilted Dr Kayiira. The group included one Magara who identified Dr Kayiira as the “UFM man”. “Suicide Brewery” fired the 1st bullet and the rest followed. In course of the investigations, the Inspector General of Police Luke Ofungi stated that the Uganda Police and the Department of Criminal Investigation Department (C.LD) had carried out preliminary investigations/ which included the use of sniffer dogs. The sniffer dogs led the investigators to the Central Brigade Lubiri as the place where the killers disappeared to after the killing. Otungi said he was shortly thereafter directed by authorities above him to hand over the investigations to the Directorate of Military Intelligence headed by Paul Kagame.
Efforts to get information from the said directorate were futile. It will be seen from the foregoing investigations that there are two hypotheses as to who committed the offence and the motive behind it; Conclusion: That it was a robbery that went wrong resulting into the killing of Dr Kayiira. That NRA functionaries were behind the murder of Dr Kayiira for political reasons. The first hypothesis is premised on the fact that there was a lot of money (Shs40million ) in Mr Gombya’s house on the night of the attack.
However, this option becomes untenable on the totality of evidence which indicates that the attackers went ahead to kill Dr Kayiira even when Mr Gombya had left some big sum of money in open space for them to steal and other valuable items which were left intact by the attackers. There was also no evidence that Dr Kayiira put up any resistance. In addition, Gombya who was the owner of the money and other property in the house was not the prime target as he was ignored by the attackers when escaping. On the strength of the evidence the motive of the attackers was very clear: they wanted to kill Dr Andrew Kayiira.
This gives credence to the 2nd hypothesis.. Submitted for information with a request that a copy of this report be forwarded to foreign and common wealth office for their information and that of British High Commissioner in Kampala and a copy forwarded to the Inspector General of Police Kampala, Uganda.
By Detective Chief Superintendent K.Thompson
In 1986 we had 15,000 vehicles in the country, there are over 700,000 vehicles now.