Another police explanation for Kato murder
Police in Uganda have a new explanation for David Kato's murder; previously they had assured us the motive was robbery gone wrong.
Ugandan police said on Wednesday that a man had confessed to murdering a gay rights activist after a "personal disagreement" in an attack last week ....Police had been seeking Enock in connection with the murder."The prime suspect, Nsubuga Enock, was arrested today at around 4pm when he went to visit his girlfriend," police spokesman Vincent Ssetake told Reuters. "He has confessed to the murder. It wasn't a robbery and it wasn't because Kato was an activist. ...
Police said last week that Enock, whom they described as a "well-known thief," had been staying with Kato after the activist bailed him out of prison on January 24.
H/T Box Turtle Bulletin. BTB concludes,
Uganda is a country run by a corrupt government which has a vested interest in downplaying the possibility that Kato, who has been targeted by anti-gay death threats, was murdered for his activism. It’s hard to take anything the police present as credible.We, again, urge the police to conduct a complete and thorough investigation. Appearances are that they were hasty in ruling out Kato's sexuality or his activism as a motive, and that they have focused their attention on one suspect to the exclusion of others. Great confidence has not, so far, been inspired.
Addendum. The Guardian has this report.
Following Kato's murder, police arrested a man they described as his driver, but said that Nsubuga was the main suspect. He was reportedly living and working as a domestic labourer in Kato's home after being released from prison.The story continues to develop, with further unofficial police statements about motive appearing in the Ugandan press. But do note that false charges of sodomy are routine in Uganda, including against the brother of the Archbishop of York.
"I know that My Vindicator liveth." (Job 19:25)
David Kato: !Presente!
Holy David, pray for us.
JC Fisher
Posted by tgflux![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 3, 2011 1:35 AM
We should not place the police in a Catch 22 where we want an investigation but we prejudge their conclusions.
Crime statistics in our own country bear out the fact that assailants often know their victims.
Posted by John B. Chilton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 3, 2011 10:11 AM
According to an Ugandan Newspaper, the Daily Monitor, the accused has made an allegation to the police that Kato coerced him into a sexual relationship. As one of the commenters to the article pointed out, that's an example of the classic "gay panic" defense (which means that even if homophobia may not have been the primary motive for the crime itself, it is being used as the basis for a defense).
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1100686/-/c5a2fcz/-/
The Monitor has also posted an interesting editorial on the gay rights issue in Uganda. While its reference to people who "choose to be gay" is cringeworthy, it is clear that this newspaper isn't marching in lockstep with the Ugandan government on this issue (and it's probably in the about the same place as most of the U.S. media were about 25 years ago).
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Editorial/-/689360/1097060/-/91oahk/-/index.html
Posted by Paul Powers![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 3, 2011 11:04 AM
Echoing @Paul Powers' comment, reach this,
http://gayuganda.blogspot.com/2011/02/in-uganda-today.html
Read it to get an idea of how charges of sodomy get used in Uganda.
Posted by John B. Chilton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 3, 2011 11:54 AM
Scenes from the NYC Memorial/Protest today:
http://picasaweb.google.com/joenyc/DavidKatoMemorialVigil?feat=directlink
JC Fisher
Posted by tgflux![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 4, 2011 2:32 AM