Former Aide of Kayihura Nixon Agasirwe released on bail

Former Aide of Kayihura Nixon Agasirwe released on bail. Agasirwe is a former commander Special Operations of Uganda Police who worked closely eith the former Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura.

The army court has pronounced itself on the case of the former senior police officer Nixon Agasirwe Karuhanga. Mr Agasirwe has close to four years been in the cells of the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala and today he appeared for the hearing of his application for bail this afternoon.

The General Court Martial chairperson, Lt Gen Andrew Gutti has granted Mr Agasirwe bail on grounds that 30 million not cash, 50 million not cash for sureties, the accused to deposit his travel documents with court, report twice a month, stay in Wakiso and Kampala districts unless permitted by court to move beyond those districts

The State alleges that on October 25, 2013, at Kammengo in Mpigi district along Masaka road the accused used guns and grenades, ordinarily a monopoly of defence forces, to abduct Lieutenant Joel  Mutabaazi Joel and  his brother  Jackson Kalemera  whom they repatriated back to Rwanda without their knowledge.

Upon his arrest by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), the General Court Martial charged Agasirwe for aiding and abetting kidnaps in Uganda, illegal repatriation of Rwandan Refugees and issuing out firearms to members of Bodaboda 2010.

Mr Agasirwe was jointly arrested with other senior police officers for allegedly kidnaping Joel Mutabaazi a former bodyguard to Rwanda president Paul Kagame and Jackson Karemeera, also known as Ndinga returned them to Rwanda in 2013. Mutabaazi was convicted of a number of charges by the Government of Rwanda including terrorism, murder and conspiracy to murder among others before being sentenced to life imprisonment. The two Rwandan nationals had fled the country to Uganda where they had sought refuge.

On March 19, 2019, Agasirwe acknowledged that he, as Head of Operations of the Rapid Response Unit, armed Ngobi Sowali with a star Pistol which had 15 rounds of ammunition in 2009. During the same period, Sargent Allan Matsiko, Kitatta’s bodyguard signed for an AK-47 and a second pistol which they obtained through the Armoury at Old Kampala Police Station.

The co-accused are former commandant of Police Professional Standards Unit Joel Aguma, Benon Atwebembeire, Abel Tumukunde and Faisal Katende, both formerly of the Police Flying Squad; and James Magada and Amon Kwarisiima from Crime Intelligence. His co-accused persons have since been released on bail, pending trial.

Other accused persons, Rwandan national Rene Rutagungira and Bahati Mugenga Pacifique, also known as Illunga Monga, a Congolese national, were released after prosecution withdrew charges against them.

According to the Police Standing Orders, a police officer acquires a gun upon writing to the IGP with an attention note to the Director of Logistics, indicating the reasons for the request. But the gun cannot be issued until the IGP sanctions the request with a written directive to the Director in Charge of Logistics.