EXPOSED!! How Mobile Phone Evidence Uncovered Secrets in Joan Kagezi’s Murder Investigation, What You Need To Know

Ten years after the brutal killing of state prosecutor Joan Kagezi, new court revelations are showing how phone data, satellite signals, and digital footprints are helping investigators track down her killers. The information is likened to hunters following hoofprints in the dark.

Kagezi, the former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, was gunned down on the evening of March 30, 2015, while driving home with her children. She had stopped at a roadside stall to buy fruits when gunmen fired through her driver’s window, hitting her in the neck and shoulder. Her children survived, but the attack shocked the nation.

Last week, court heard testimony from Lt. Col. Francis Nyakairu, a top intelligence officer formerly with the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI). He revealed that hours after the assassination, then IGP Gen. Kale Kayihura formed a joint team to track the killers. Nyakairu’s task was to use special software to scan all phone numbers connected to the Kiwatule mast between 7:00 and 8:00 pm that day. He described the method as “cluster intelligence,” focusing on digital footprints rather than eyewitness reports.

The initial sweep cleared dozens of early suspects whose numbers didn’t link to the crime scene. But the investigation stalled when the then CID boss, Grace Akullo, disbanded Nyakairu’s team and ordered him to retrace Kagezi’s movements from her home to Kololo High Court and Serena Hotel. The effort yielded few results, and the case went cold.

In August 2023, CID director Tom Magambo reassembled a new taskforce, bringing together officers from CMI and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO). Their mission was to reopen the old clusters and match them with new intelligence. Nyakairu testified that a number belonging to John Masajjage emerged, placing his phone in the Kiwatule mast coverage at the time of the murder.

Another number traced to Daniel Kiwanuka Kisekka, a former UPDF soldier who had deserted with rifles in the mid-2000s, also pinged the same mast. When investigators tracked him to Bombo in October 2023, they found Kisekka already in custody for a robbery.

A third number, belonging to John Kibuuka, was also active on the mast around 7:23 pm the night Kagezi was killed, further linking suspects to the scene. Digital evidence was clearly showing patterns that were missed in the initial investigations.

Superintendent of Police Edward Kasita recounted how he was tipped off in August 2023 to track a short, light-skinned man wearing shades and a helmet, who turned out to be Masajjage. His appearance matched the description perfectly, showing how eyewitness tips and digital evidence were now converging.

Adding another twist, Samuel Nsanja, Masajjage’s brother-in-law, testified that his sister had hinted in 2015 about an “intended visit” involving Masajjage. This testimony connected family knowledge to the broader investigation, helping strengthen the case against the suspects.

The Kagezi murder case has dragged on for nearly a decade, bogged down by dead leads, disbanded teams, and shifting political winds. Yet, the renewed, data-driven investigation seems to be breathing life into a case many had thought would remain unsolved, bringing hope that justice for Joan Kagezi may finally be within reach.