Police have removed the roadblock at Kiwumpa village along Kampala –Gulu highway following Monday’s attack on two constables from the Field Force Unit-FFU.
Police introduced the roadblock at Kiwumpa village in 2017 to check on errant drivers and ensure adherence to traffic rules along the Kampala-Gulu highway. At least four Police officers have been manning the checkpoint since then.
However, the busy checkpoint was not there on Tuesday, a day after four men armed with machetes overran it and hacked Police Constables Josephat Twinamatsiko on the head and face and Ronald Busingye on the back and made off with two guns.
Busingye died on the way to Luwero hospital.
Living Twazagye, the Luwero District Police Commander, says that they have temporarily removed the checkpoint because it’s still being treated as a crime scene.
“We shall re-instate the checkpoint soon after investigations and reinforce it,” Twazagye said.
He revealed that they maintained mobile patrols and checkpoints on other sections of the road to enforce traffic rules.
Erastus Kibirango, the Luwero LC V Chairperson, says that the suspension of the checkpoint has triggered fear among the nearby communities since Police are yet to apprehend the attackers or recover the stolen guns.
Donozio Kawooya, the LC 1 Chairman of Kiwumpa village has asked Police to relocate its roadblocks from swamps or bushy areas to trading centers to avoid such attacks in the future.
Police and UPDF have maintained heavy deployment as they hunt for the killers. Busingye will be laid to rest in Kijjula town council in Kabarole district on a date to be announced by the police force.
This is not the first time thugs are attacking police officers in Luwero district. In 2015, a group of thugs armed with machetes attacked Kasana Police Station and stabbed detective constable Geoffrey Bala and Sergeant Sarah Achan. Bala succumbed to the stab wounds.
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