The investigation into the killing of Sports Club Villa captain David “Colgate” Owori has taken a major turn, with police arresting six of the 10 suspects they are pursuing and recovering the mobile phone allegedly stolen from the footballer.
The recovery has also opened a potentially wider criminal trail, after detectives seized four bags containing more than 130 suspected stolen mobile phones and other electronic devices from two suspects believed to be part of a network dealing in stolen phones.
Police say the investigation began to yield results after officers traced Owori’s iPhone 14 Pro Max, which was taken during the robbery that preceded his death.
The phone’s tracking reportedly led investigators to Munyaneza Bashir, alias “Jemo,” whom police describe as a suspected dealer in stolen mobile phones, and his alleged associate Magoba Samuel.
The two are among suspects being investigated as police attempt to establish who attacked Owori, who handled his stolen property and whether the killing was connected to a broader organised phone-theft network operating in Kampala and neighbouring areas.
Six suspects arrested
Senior police officers from the Directorate of Crime Intelligence and the Flying Squad Unit confirmed that six of the 10 key suspects listed in connection with Owori’s killing have been arrested.
The arrests were made during a series of raids conducted since Friday in different parts of Kampala and neighbouring Wakiso District.
Police also recovered the mobile phone and other personal belongings believed to have been robbed from Owori.
Investigators are now attempting to connect the recovered exhibits to Owori’s case and other robbery complaints reported across Kampala.
The latest development could significantly broaden the case because the items recovered from the suspects suggest investigators may be dealing with more than a single robbery.
Police discover suspected phone-trafficking cache
During the raids, police recovered four bags containing:
- 80 iPhones
- 40 Samsung phones
- 8 Redmi phones
- 2 Tecno phones
- 2 Infinix phones
- 2 Vivo phones
- 3 button phones
- 4 phone motherboards
- 3 iPads
Police also recovered SIM cards from different telecommunications networks, including MTN, Safaricom, Airtel and Lyca.
Other recovered property included ladies’ bags containing identification documents, phone covers and hard drives.
The sheer volume and variety of the recovered devices has prompted detectives to investigate whether the suspects were operating as part of a larger market for stolen phones.
Police have not, however, said that all the recovered devices are stolen or that they are all connected to Owori’s murder.
Instead, investigators say the exhibits are being examined and compared against reports of stolen property in order to establish their ownership and determine the full extent of the suspected network.
Owori’s phone provides breakthrough
The tracking of Owori’s iPhone appears to have provided investigators with one of their most important leads since the murder.
Owori was attacked near his home in Kampala on the night of August 4 and died from his injuries the following day. Police said he had been assaulted during a robbery in which his phone and other belongings were taken.
His death shocked Uganda’s football community and triggered widespread calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Owori had been a prominent figure in Ugandan football, serving as captain of SC Villa and representing Uganda at international level. He had previously played for Vipers and had spells abroad before returning to Uganda.
He was born on September 23, 1998, and had developed through local football before progressing to the top level. He was part of the SC Villa side that won the Uganda Premier League title and had established himself as one of the club’s senior players.
From murder case to wider criminal network
The police operation now appears to be moving beyond the immediate circumstances of Owori’s death.
Investigators are expected to examine the origins of the phones, establish who supplied them, identify their intended buyers and determine whether the suspects have links to other robbery cases.
The recovery of SIM cards from several telecommunications networks could also provide investigators with additional leads as they attempt to establish previous users and owners of some of the devices.
Police say investigations remain active and that the recovered exhibits are being linked to reported cases.
The six arrests therefore represent only the first phase of what could become a much larger investigation.
For the family, teammates and supporters of Owori, however, the immediate demand remains simple: identify everyone involved in the attack that claimed the life of the SC Villa captain and bring them before the courts.
The footballer’s death has already generated national outrage, with public figures and sports organisations calling for greater action against violent crime in Kampala. International media also reported that his death intensified concerns about attacks on Ugandan athletes following other recent incidents involving sports personalities.
Police now face the task of turning the recovered phone, the six arrests and the large cache of suspected stolen devices into evidence capable of answering the central question surrounding the case: who killed David Owori, and how far does the network behind the robbery reach?
