Former top police officer Nixon Agasirwe has been arrested in connection with the 2015 murder of senior prosecutor Joan Kagezi, a case that has remained one of Uganda’s most high-profile unresolved assassinations.
Agasirwe, once head of the Police Special Operations Unit, was taken into custody following explosive revelations in court by one of the accused in the case.
The suspect, who recently pleaded guilty to murder by shooting, told the High Court that he and other accomplices were acting on direct orders from Agasirwe.
Daniel Kisseka Kiwanuka, who recently pleaded guilty to his role in the killing, told the International Crimes Division in Kampala on Tuesday that a man known only as “Nickson,” who was seen driving a government-marked vehicle, ordered the hit on Kagezi. Kisseka identified “Nickson” as the shadowy figure behind the assassination.
“We asked who our boss was before doing such a job,” Kisseka testified. “Kibuuka told us the boss was Nickson.”
Kisseka is now a state witness in the ongoing trial against his co-accused — Kibuuka John, Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, and John Massajjage.
His revelations prompted swift action from authorities, leading to the arrest of Agasirwe, a former commander of the Police Special Operations Unit, who is widely believed to be the “Nickson” referred to in court.
Police spokesperson SCP Rusoke Kituuma confirmed Agasirwe’s arrest, stating that the development follows “new and credible testimony” that has emerged during the ongoing trial. He noted that further investigations are underway and additional arrests could follow.
Agasirwe has previously faced charges in other high-profile cases but has maintained his innocence. His legal team has yet to comment on the new allegations.
The arrest has reignited national interest in the case and may bring fresh hope for justice to Kagezi’s family and the legal fraternity that has long mourned her loss.