Former IGP Kayihura Masterminded Joan Kagezi Murder, Claims Suspect

During the resumed trial of three suspects for the 2015 murder of Joan Kagezi, one accused, Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, has pointed fingers at former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen. Kale Kayihura. Kagezi, who was shot dead in March 2015, was allegedly targeted due to sensitive documents she possessed linking Kayihura to illicit activities.

Mugonole, testifying in his defense, stated that while he was aware of the plot to murder Kagezi, he was not the shooter. He claimed that police officer Hamisi Kakaire was responsible for the shooting, with the weapon allegedly supplied by Nixon Agasirwe, a former Flying Squad commander also facing charges in connection to the murder.

According to Mugonole’s testimony, his role involved intelligence gathering on the assassination plot and reporting to an individual known only as “Green.” He further alleged that Kayihura offered Kagezi a substantial sum of money for the documents, which she refused, intending to present them to President Yoweri Museveni.

Another co-accused, Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, who has since become a state witness, reportedly informed Mugonole in prison that Kayihura financed and orchestrated the operation. Mugonole also described a complex plot involving the theft of Kagezi’s mobile phone, allegedly by Calvin Jordan, who was posing as a suitor for her daughter. This phone was reportedly used to install a tracking device before being returned to Kagezi, a method Mugonole claims was also used in the later killings of Muhammad Kirumira and Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

The trial is ongoing, with the prosecution expected to cross-examine Mugonole. The defense presented by the remaining accused comes years after Kagezi’s murder and long investigations. The case highlights the intricate web of accusations and alleged high-level involvement in the assassination.

This story is based on reporting from The Observer (Uganda).