The Police have summoned Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya and Makindye division West MP Allan Ssewanyana over the recent murders in the Greater Masaka region.

In letters signed by the Director of Criminal Investigations, Mr Paul Katto Tumuhimbise and handed over to the two Members of Parliament by the Speaker of the house, the two have been summoned to appear at the Masaka Police station.

“This serves as summons for you to appear at Masaka Police Station on Monday 6th September 2021 at 1000 hrs before the D/SSP Moses Taremwa for a statement in respect to the said investigations,” the letters read.

Both Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana have expressed their disappointment in the summons saying that the government is simply playing politics. The National Unity Platform (NUP) members both represent constituencies in Kampala and say that they do not understand the connection the police is making between them and the Masaka Killings.

“It is unbelievable. This is the stage where we are in Uganda’s politics. We are practising politics of blackmail and defamation,” Ssewanyana told NTV.

Ssegirinya, who is currently facing charges of incitement of violence and is fighting an election petition, argues that he cannot be involved because he has not been in the country.

“I recently returned from the Netherlands. I have not been in the country. I have only been seeing the Masaka killings on Social media. I don’t even know where the killings are happening,” Ssegirinya told NTV.

Ssewanyana has said that he will go to Masaka with his lawyers to find out what exactly is happening.

“My Hands are very clean, I have never participated in such kinds of activities. I have not even been around,” Ssewanyana says.

The NUP President, Robert Kyagulanyi has also weighed in on the matter of the summons. Through his social media, the former Presidential candidate says that this was expected.

“As predicted, the Museveni regime has actualised their plan of implicating NUP leaders in the ongoing spate of murders in Greater Masaka,” Kyagulanyi tweeted.

Kyagulanyi, who is also known as Bobi Wine, is confident that this issue will fade away.

“What I can say without contradiction, is that this new attempt will fail, like all those before. Our people just need to be vigilant and remain alert,” Kyagulanyi tweeted.

Police in the Greater Masaka has so far confirmed 28 deaths in the last month. However, two of the killings are attached to domestic violence and robbery.

About 70 people have been arrested in a security clampdown following the deadly crime path that has rocked the Sub-region but their physical identities are still concealed.

The Greater Masaka area has been a hotspot of mysterious killings over the last 10 years.

In June 2009, 14 murders were registered in Greater Masaka and they were attributed to contract killers.

The hackings ceased but emerged in 2013 in Rakai District where families were attacked and hacked to death. Investigations were not conclusive.
Again in 2018, another group that was hacking people emerged in the area, but some suspects were arrested and others killed.

More on this story in NTV Ku Ssawa Emu and NTV Weekend Edition, tonight.