BY BERNARD MUBIRU
Following the murder of Brian Akampulira who was in second year pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the cries of robberies and rape at LDC Mbarara, the Mbarara Central Police Station together with the UPDF have identified and arrested suspected members of a deadly criminal gang that they believe had a hand in the insecurities.
Due to the growing insecurity in within Mbarara Municipality, areas of Kakiika, Boma, Katete and Kakooba were becoming target areas for this gang where they used to attack students and take their belongings on top of raping female students. It is said that students have tried to raise their concerns to those in charge but there was no pragmatic response to stop this situation.
On Monday last week a group of MUST students together with their guild officials stormed the office of the Resident District commissioner (RDC) of Mbarara saying that if nothing is done to make sure that they are secure, they were not willing to continue attending lectures. It is from this that the RDC together with the district security officials came out with resolutions to curb the growing insecurity in the identified areas within Mbarara.
At the end of last week, police carried out night patrols where 50 suspects were arrested including the four suspected killers of Brian.
The key suspects in the murder of Brian were Ssentongo Abdul Yasin 25, Atwine Zubail 30, Ayesiga Mukama Osbert 17 and Ahimbisibwe Denis 21. These were found in the above areas hiding during the night. They were in possession of stolen property including phones, TV sets, bags and other household materials that would be used as evidence when taken to court.