Masaka Grade 1 magistrates court has charged and remanded 10 suspects for the gruesome murders in the Greater Masaka area.
Masaka Chief Magistrate, Charles Yeteise remanded the suspected assailants to Ssaza Government Prison after slapping 7 counts of murder on them contrary to sections 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act.
The paraded group was however denied a chance to plead to the charges on grounds that their crimes were capital in nature hence can only be tried by the high court.
The state prosecutor asked for more time to carry on with investigations, therefore, they stay on remand until September 15 when their case comes up for mention.
Security forces under the command of the state Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi this week announced that 69 suspects had been arrested in connection to the killings.
Police confirmed that of the 69 suspects in custody,15 had confessed to killing some victims.
On Monday during a security briefing at Naguru EnangaFred, the Police mouthpiece said: “They have given us valuable information; where they were recruited from, where they held meetings. These are planned activities. We shall be able to find out the sponsors of these activities,”
28 people, mostly the elderly(60-80YRS) have been confirmed dead after being butchered with machetes and other blunt objects in a space of fewer than 2 months.
The exact motive of the attacks has not been established but the internal affairs state minister has linked the crimes to terrorism.
On Tuesday, President Yoweri Museveni announced that the killings are politically motivated and the perpetrators would be tried in court.
He promised to divulge further details in a security address next week.
He said;” There is no strategy, they are finished. Once we bring to court evidence to show that it is so and so who sent these people to kill our old men, where will they go, Otherwise, you will leave any sorts of clues that will enable the Police to arrest them.”
