Forensic experts have discovered a peculiar connection between the alleged assassination attempt on Pastor Aloysius Bugingo and the unsolved murder of popular vlogger Isma Olaxes, also known as Isma Tusubira. They say that the same mysterious pistol used in Olaxes' death last year was reportedly fired at Bugingo.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday night when unknown assailants targeted Bugingo, claiming the lives of his bodyguard, Cpl Richard Muhumuza, and his driver. Muhumuza, a seasoned soldier from the Special Forces Command (SFC), was affectionately known as "Mukadde we kanisa" (elder of the church) within Bugingo's congregation.
Ballistic examinations meticulously connected the recovered bullets from Bugingo's vehicle, the crime scene, and projectiles extracted from Muhumuza's body to the pistol employed in Olaxes' fatal shooting. The vlogger was tragically murdered in May 2023 near his residence in Kyanja, Nakawa Division, Kampala, with the case remaining unsolved for the past eight months.
Despite the lack of progress and no suspects in custody, investigators now assert that the enigmatic pistol is the common denominator in both cases.
A source revealed, "As we had said earlier, the pistol is not in any of the security agencies' records. But we have now established that the same pistol that killed Isma Olaxes is the same that was used in the failed assassination of Pr Bugingo."
Muhumuza's body bore the brunt of the attack, sustaining 13 bullet wounds, with seven bullets retrieved. Comparatively, Olaxes, who fell victim to the same weapon, was shot six times, though a total of nine cartridges were found at the crime scene.
Bugingo's vehicle, riddled with 11 visible bullet holes, has become a focal point in the investigation. The Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) at Naguru police headquarters initially held the vehicle, but a squabble over jurisdiction saw it transferred to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) in Kibuli.
Drama ensued when senior CID officers questioned the unauthorized transfer, leading to an agreement to hand over the vehicle to the Inspector of Vehicles Officer (IOV) at Old Kampala.
