Nearly a decade after the chilling assassination of Uganda’s former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Joan Namazzi Kagezi, a key arrest has reignited the high-profile case. Nixon Agasirwe, the former commander of Police Special Operations, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the 2015 murder—following fresh testimony from a convicted accomplice who named him as the operation’s financier.
Agasirwe, once a trusted ally of former Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura, was apprehended by a joint security team on charges including terrorism, alleged collaboration with former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) leader Jamil Mukulu, and suspected involvement in Kagezi’s killing.
The breakthrough came after courtroom revelations by Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, a convict serving a 35-year sentence under a plea bargain. Testifying before a panel of High Court justices, Kisekka identified a man referred to as “Nixon” as the financial backer of the murder plot—later confirmed to be Agasirwe.
Kisekka recounted how co-accused John Kibuuka allegedly met with “Nixon” in Kalerwe, arriving in a vehicle with government registration plates. Although Kisekka never spoke directly with Nixon, he testified that Kibuuka identified him as the financier of the hit.
According to Kisekka, he was offered $200,000 for his role, under the false premise that the target was a judge interfering in Muslim-related legal matters. In reality, the target was Kagezi—Uganda’s leading prosecutor in terrorism cases—who was gunned down in public on March 30, 2015, in an attack that shocked the nation and disrupted critical prosecutions of extremist networks.
Despite the promised payment, Kisekka stated he only received UGX 500,000, casting doubt on the transparency of the operation and raising the possibility that not all participants were fully aware of the stakes involved.
The prosecution has brought forward additional witnesses, including Ssewankabo Ssekimpi, who claims to have witnessed the assassination, and Okello Michael Jackson, a crime scene officer who presented photographic evidence from the site.
The case is being heard by Justices Dr. Andrew Bashaija, Joyce Kavuma, Duncan Gaswagga, and Richard Wejuli Wabwire. The proceedings highlight the disturbing possibility of high-level infiltration of Uganda’s state institutions by extremist sympathizers.
Kagezi’s assassination marked a grim turning point in Uganda’s counter-terrorism efforts. Her murder paralyzed several investigations, dealt a heavy blow to judicial morale, and sparked widespread fear over the security of top government officials.
While Agasirwe’s arrest could finally bring answers, it also raises unsettling questions: How did a senior police officer evade accountability for so long? And how deeply does the rot go?
The allegation that a high-ranking security official—with access to state resources—may have orchestrated the killing has reignited public outrage and renewed calls for a comprehensive overhaul of Uganda’s security apparatus.
