Police in Uganda have a new explanation for David Kato’s murder; previously they had assured us the motive was robbery gone wrong.
Ugandan police said on Wednesday that a man had confessed to murdering a gay rights activist after a “personal disagreement” in an attack last week ….
“The prime suspect, Nsubuga Enock, was arrested today at around 4pm when he went to visit his girlfriend,” police spokesman Vincent Ssetake told Reuters. “He has confessed to the murder. It wasn’t a robbery and it wasn’t because Kato was an activist. …
Police said last week that Enock, whom they described as a “well-known thief,” had been staying with Kato after the activist bailed him out of prison on January 24.
Police had been seeking Enock in connection with the murder.
H/T Box Turtle Bulletin. BTB concludes,
Uganda is a country run by a corrupt government which has a vested interest in downplaying the possibility that Kato, who has been targeted by anti-gay death threats, was murdered for his activism. It’s hard to take anything the police present as credible.
We, again, urge the police to conduct a complete and thorough investigation. Appearances are that they were hasty in ruling out Kato’s sexuality or his activism as a motive, and that they have focused their attention on one suspect to the exclusion of others. Great confidence has not, so far, been inspired.
Addendum. The Guardian has this report.
Following Kato’s murder, police arrested a man they described as his driver, but said that Nsubuga was the main suspect. He was reportedly living and working as a domestic labourer in Kato’s home after being released from prison.
The story continues to develop, with further unofficial police statements about motive appearing in the Ugandan press. But do note that false charges of sodomy are routine in Uganda, including against the brother of the Archbishop of York.