The family of murdered accountant, Susan Magara who was kidnapped earlier this month and later found dead have tasked government to explain why criminals are using unregistered simcards to commit such serious crimes.
Susan Magara, 28, was kidnapped on February 7 by unknown people and would four weeks later be discovered dead and her lifeless body dumped in Kigo off Entebbe Road. Her gruesome death followed futile efforts to track her captors as well as lenghty negotiations between her parents and the kidnappers over hefty financial demands.
On Wednesday, hundreds of mourners including her family, friends, workmates and well wishers converged at Our Lady of Africa Catholic church in Mbuya, Kampala for a requiem mass to celebrate Susan’s life. Many of the mourners wore sombre faces, seemingly pondering deeply on several unanswered questions on a life cut short at a very tender age.
Many that spoke about the former accountant described her as a jolly, accommodative, caring and gentle person with an irreplaceable character.
But in her eulogy, Susan’s sister, Cindy Magara Lukwago wondered why criminals continue to access unregistered simcards which are exploited to kill innocent people as government fails to reign in.
“Kidnaps and unresolved murders are growing. We can’t know who is next. Crooks have devised new ways and we expect authorities to strengthen their capacity,” Cindy said in her written eulogy delivered by her husband, Daniel Lukwago.
“Telecom companies and UCC must do their job, because some of the numbers used by the kidnappers were unregistered. We failed to track them. Why are there still unregistered simcards?” the bereaved sister questioned, making an appeal for justice to prevail and that Susan’s killers be punished.
Parents narrate ordeal
Susan’s father, John Magara recounted that the family has withered difficult days since the fateful day when his daughter went missing, with uncertainty as to whether they would ever set eyes on her again.
For two days after Susan was kidnapped, the family was worried of her whereabouts until they finally got a phone call from someone who claimed to be in possession of their daughter.
“The kidnappers contacted my wife and said they had Susan. We started negotiating but later, I asked to take charge,” Susan’s father told mourners in his speech.
“In my mind, I thought I was talking to ordinary criminals whose motive was money and who would wear out,” he narrated.
He said that sometimes, days would go by without hearing from the kidnappers, which aroused suspicion that he might have been dealing with people with odd intentions. Later, the kidnappers asked him to pick up a package somewhere, only to discover that it contained Susan’s two fingers and a video recording.
“They sent two of her fingers and a ‘must watch’ video. But I couldn’t watch it, so, I handed it to Police who later told me that Susan was alive but that she doesn’t have two fingers,” he said.
The intricate case had sucked in President Yoweri Museveni who then invited Susan’s father to State House and held a meeting with him over the situation.
He says; “I requested him [President] to go by the terms of the kidnappers so that we could get Susan back. We [him and wife] did whatever they had asked us but we kept it to ourselves thinking we could surprise everybody by Susan reappearing”.
But on Sunday, after days elapsed without being contacted by the kidnappers, despite fulfilling their demands, he says that was when he suspected that something was wrong with his daughter.
His fears were confirmed by a call from the President on Tuesday morning.
“Yesterday, at around 9am, I got a call from the President and he said ‘They killed your girl’. He said that a body had been discovered and it missed two fingers”.
On reaching the scene situated between Munyonyo and Kajjansi where the body had been dumped, they confirmed it was indeed Susan’s.
“We still don’t know the motive why all this happened,” a sad John Magara said.
Wednesday’s mass led by Rev Fr John Mungereza was attended by Members of Parliament, government officials, Kampala Mayor, Erias Lukwago, political leaders, Rotary fraternity, friends of the deceased and members of the public.
Susan’s acquaintances from the Rotaract Club of Bugolobi which served in the capacity of Community Service Director said she was a devoted leader who cared about changing lives and communities.
“We have lost an asset, a friend, a generous and loving person. She was the best thing that ever happened to Rotaract Bugolobi. We shall start a Foundation in her name so as to continue what she loved to do,” they said.
Susan was a graduate with a Bachelors in Ethics and Development Studies which she attained in 2012 from Nkozi University. She attained a Masters Degree in Accounting from India in 2016.
Yesterday, Police announced a Shs 100 million cash reward to whoever could identify the voice suspected to be of one of Susan’s killers. In the audio recording, the man, speaking Runyoro is heard giving Susan’s family directions to pick up a package along Entebbe road.
Susan’s death came a day after Cabinet chaired by President Museveni gave the communications regulator, UCC to investigate telcos over reports by security agencies that wrong elements are using unregistered simcards to commit crimes.
