A police constable, Alex Oduku, who was guarding Mbale High court judge Jesse Rugyema Byaruhanga during a hit-and-run accident has been arrested.
Constable Oduku was captured by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras entering a Rav4 vehicle registration number, UAS 597U. The vehicle which was allegedly being driven by the judge knocked a traffic officer Innocent Ayesigye in Seeta along the Kampala-Jinja highway on Sunday.
The vehicle left the scene soon after the accident, leaving Ayesigye fighting for his life. He was rushed to Mulago hospital for medical attention and later transferred to Rubaga hospital where he breathed his last, on Tuesday.
Police shared pictures of the vehicle on its social media platforms, urging the public to help identify the suspects but also urged the owners to report themselves to the nearby police.
It subsequently emerged that a judge; Jesse Byaruhanga was behind the wheels of the said vehicle. Although police sources insist that Byaruhanga was driving the vehicle, he still remains at large, while his bodyguard and his official driver identified as Aminsi Zimba have been detained.
"It is alleged that one Byaruhanga Jesse Rugyema, a Mbale High court judge was the one driving the motor vehicle on the day our traffic officer was knocked. One officer and his driver have also been arrested to help with investigations. The judge has not yet recorded his statement on the matter," a police source said.
The judge appeared at police headquarters on Wednesday afternoon where a meeting on how to resolve matters surrounding Ayesigye's death was held. Records obtained by police from Uganda Revenue Authority show that the vehicle, UAS 597U is registered in the name of one Charity Kamugisha.
Zimba, 32, is a driver with the Judiciary and a resident of Salaama, in the outskirts of Kampala, while Oduku, who is attached to the Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VIPPU) is a resident of Mukono.
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