Africa-Press – Uganda. A mobile money and banking agent in Busia District was on Monday night shot dead by unknown assailants before fleeing the scene with an unspecified amount of money.
Busia Resident District Commissioner, Michael Kibwika, said Rashid Kizza, 28, was shot dead at around 7.30 PM as he closed his shop in Sofia ‘B’ village, Busia municipality.
“Reports indicate that after the shooting, the criminals made off with his bag that we think had money, mobile phones and keys to his shop and home,” he told on Tuesday.
Mr Job Mutesa, an eyewitness, and friend to the deceased, says two criminals riding on a motorcycle came to the shop and one immediately pulled out a gun which he had concealed in a piece of cloth and shot the victim at close range.
“One of the criminals held the gun low which he had covered with a piece of cloth and without saying anything shot Kizza in the chest,” he said.
A woman who sells vegetables next to where the incident happened, said she had earlier seen “some two suspicious-looking people dressed in black jackets”, but didn’t get a good look at them.
Sofia ‘B’ village defence secretary, Michael Kabogoza, said the criminals jumped on a getaway motorcycle which rode them towards Kenya.
Ms Jalia Naigaga, who responded to the shooting, says she tried to rush the victim to Busia Health Centre IV after she found him lying in a pool of blood, but he passed on before they could reach the health facility.
Sofia municipal councilor, Bashir Wanyama, said the criminals took advantage of the police operation in the area to execute their mission.
According to him, at the time of the attack, police were in Sofia village carrying out an operation, so when gunshots were heard, many thought it was police shooting.
Mr Wanyama, however, noted that generally, security in Sofia village and its environs has declined over the past weeks, with criminal gangs resorting to street violence and hacking people with machetes.
Busia Mayor Sadiki Amin, says there are security lapses, which he thinks are the cause of a surge in crime in the border town.
“We had a fire incident which claimed four pupils at Victory Primary School, and within three days, two boda boda riders were killed and their motorcycles taken which, and now the mobile money operator being shot dead, this is not good at all,” he said.
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