Okira Ito, a Japanese infrastructure consultant working on improving road junctions in collaboration with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), has tragically died after being attacked in Uganda. Ito had been in a coma for nearly three weeks at the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital in Naguru, Kampala, following the assault.
The attack occurred on September 8 when Ito was caught in a traffic jam near Centenary Park. A gang of criminals, dressed in National Resistance Movement (NRM) t-shirts and reportedly returning from a political event, snatched Ito’s bag from his car, which contained a laptop, two mobile phones, and an unspecified amount of money. When Ito attempted to pursue the thieves, the gang violently beat him before fleeing the scene.
Although nine suspects were initially arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, the charges have now been amended to include murder following Ito’s passing. The attack took place in an area without police CCTV camera coverage, making the investigation more challenging.
Ito’s death has had significant implications, potentially affecting the willingness of other road experts to travel to Uganda for similar projects. Authorities have initiated an operation against traffic jam-related crimes in response to the incident, highlighting the issue of criminal gangs operating in large groups in the city.
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