Summary:

• Pastor Aloysius Bugingo and his bodyguard, Richard Muhumuza, were allegedly shot on Buwalakata road, Namungoona; Muhumuza died on the spot, while Bugingo survived with minor injuries; police are examining bullet casings, investigating the vehicle and body penetration angles, and relying on CCTV footage to determine if the attackers were trailing or waiting for Bugingo.

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After examining the bullet casings collected from the scene of crime, police say they have established that a pistol was used to shoot at pastor Aloysius Bugingo and his driver who also doubled as bodyguard Richard Muhumuza.

The duo was allegedly shot at along Buwalakata road, Namungoona, in Lubaga Division, on Tuesday by gunmen moving on a motorcycle. Muhumuza, 45, who hailed from Sembabule district allegedly died on the spot.

According to his brother, Geoffrey Kayumba and Lwbitakuli village chairman Stephen Ssenyonyi, Muhumuza left three children. Muhumuza was apparently one of the best highly trained body-to-body secret service guards.

Although police pathologists found more than 10 bullet wounds on Muhumuza’s body, it raised further questions about how Bugingo survived the assassination and how he was able to drive the targeted car from the crime scene to Mulago hospital.

URN has established that the vehicle with the personalized number plate, PRAIZ GOD, is currently parked at the Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) at Naguru alongside the other vehicles in which former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, Buyende district police commander Muhammad Kirumira, Sheikh Maj Muhammad Kiggundu and Bukwo chief administrative officer (CAO) Charles Ogwang were assassinated.

Police sources have said that five ballistic and forensic experts have been assigned to examine Bugingo’s vehicle purposely to establish the shooting angles.

“Bullet cartridges from the crime scene and those found inside the car as well bullets found in Muhumuza’s body will be examined to establish vehicle and body penetration angles and range,” the source said.

Analysis of vehicle and body penetration will help ballistic and forensic experts to establish the distance at which the shooters were, and the angles at which they were standing. A bullet shot at a close range and that fired at s distance have different penetration impacts.

So far, it has been established that Bugingo’s vehicle was not riddled with bullets as has previously happened in other assassinations involving prominent individuals. For instance, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala’s army vehicle was shot from behind and the first target was the tyres to stop it from moving. Gen Katumba survived with bullet wounds but his daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Haruna Kayondo died on the spot.

In Andrew Felix Kaweesi’s murder, the assassins first deflated the tyres before they pumped dozens of bullets inside it leaving him dead alongside his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and driver Godfrey Wambewo. Maj Muhammad Kiggundu’s murder did not differ from the assassin’s modus operandi. Bukwo CAO Charles Ogwang was shot at least 26 times with the attackers allegedly even filming the assault.

But in Bugingo’s shooting incident, tyres were not targeted and he survived with just minor scratches.

“Detectives recorded the first statement from Pr Bugingo but they will have a second interaction with him before the end of the week. We might record several statements from him since he is now the key witness in this incident,” a police source said.

Luke Owoyesigyire the deputy Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, said investigators are going to largely rely on CCTV cameras to establish whether Bujjingo’s attackers were trailing him or they waited for him at the spot.