Masaka businessman pins Sheikh Kamoga on threats to kill

The trial of Muslim clerics accused of murdering their colleagues resumed on Thursday with a prominent  businessman from Masaka Hajji Yasin Kakomo accusing Sheikh Mohammad Yunus Kamoga  and 13 other people of  masterminding the operations.

Kakomo told court that Tabliq leader Kamoga and his colleague had made threats before the murder  of Muslim Clerics, Sheikh  Mustafa Bahiga, Hassan Kirya and the recent one being Major Muhammad  Kiggundu.

As the 22nd witness, Kakomo informed  the International Crimes Division Court  that the three accused Sheikhs  Yunus Kamoga, Multa Bukenya,  Siraje Kwooya  and the deceased  Shiekhs  were  friends since 1983 in the Tabliq Muslim section  from which they  formed an organization with  a religious mission of spreading and teaching Islam across the country.

He said that however in 2013, leadership wrangles led to disunity as the group wanted Shiekh Kamoga to resign his duties as the Amir. This led to a split into two groups.

Kakomo further testified that he tried to unite the groups but failed in 2014. He told court that Kamoga then told him that he is ready to kill and take  someone’s life other than giving up his role as Amir.

The witness told a penal of three judges led by Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi  that  in November 2014 Sheikh  Kamoga and Multa Bukenya called a Muslim crusade in Nyendo Masaka in which they supplied flyers containing  names and pictures of  the  three deceased sheikhs whom they accused of being enemies of Islam and  cautioned the congregation never to allow them enter any mosque.

Kakomo said that indeed the threats came to pass when  Shiekh Mustafa Bahiga  was gunned down  at Bwebajja  mosque only three weeks  after  the said crusade had taken place, and the subsequent murders of Sheikh Hassan Kirya in June last year  at Bweyogerere, plus the recent one of Major Muhammad Kiggundu which happened last month.

He also told court that he too received death threats throught telephone calls and hand written letters where unknown people promised to chop off his head.

Lead judge Ezekiel Muhanguzi  later adjourned further hearing of the case to 11th/January, 11 2017, with an order to MTN and Airtel Mobile phone  networks,  to avail court certified call print-outs ranging from October 2014 to date in respect of  Hajji  Kakomo’s  telephone numbers,  before the defence team can cross -examine the witness.

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editor@independent.co.ug