By Solomon Hamala
IGANGA
Police in Iganga are hunting for an unknown truck driver who shot dead a 17 year old student who was attempting to rescue his father from being dragged to police.
The deceased, Joel Mukama, a senior three student of Nakalama secondary school in Iganga was shot dead by the man who was reportedly driving a FUSO lorry loaded with maize on Monday 20th December 2021.
According to the mother of the deceased, Irene Namyalo, who witnessed the entire incident said the FUSO lorry that was heading towards the direction of Busia had earlier knocked one of their cows that were being taken for grazing to the opposite side of the road by her husband, Moses Kalogo just a few meters from the police check point.
Namyalo said the driver of the FUSO lorry reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and ordered her husband who had attempted to flee to enter the car so that they head to Iganga central police station but he refused.
The deceased who heard the scuffle reportedly moved out of their house and engaged in a fist fight with the driver of the FUSO lorry who later pulled out a pistol shooting him in the abdomen.
“I tried pleading with the tall man to spare my child but he simply ignored,” she said.
The FUSO lorry later sped off towards the direction of Busia passing at the police check point just a few meters away at Nakalama trading center.
The incident happened at around 9.30 a.m at Busei village Nakalama trading center along the Iganga to Busia highway.
The LC one chairman Busei village, Kozani Waiswa said the murderer could have taken advantage of the busy situation at the police check point to move without being noticed.
“Even people who were moving in cars along the road witnessed what was happening but never alerted police,” he said.
The LC 3 chairman Nakalama sub county, Kawanguzi Salongo urged police to utilize footage on CCTV cameras installed along the main highway to track down the number plate of the FUSO lorry.
Moses Kalogo, the father of the deceased said the driver of the FUSO lorry later stabbed him twice on the head with a knife after shooting dead his son leaving him bleeding profusely.
The Police Spokesman Busoga East Region, Diana Nandawula said one bullet cartridge was discovered at the scene where the incident happened.
Nandawula said no arrests had been made so far in connection with the murder but police was carrying out investigations to ensure the suspect is arrested and prosecuted before courts of law for murder.
By press time the body of the deceased was still lying at Iganga hospital mortuary awaiting a post mortem report.
