Former Police Special Operations Commander Nixon Agasirwe has been remanded to Luzira Prison in connection with the 2015 assassination of senior state prosecutor Joan Kagezi.
Appearing before Nakawa Chief Magistrate, Esther Nyadoi, was charged with murder and subsequently remanded remanded to Luzira Prison till July 8, 2025.
Agasirwe’s arrest last month followed a damning testimony from Daniel Kiwanuka Kisekka, a former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deserter, who appeared before the International Crimes Division of the High Court. Kisekka claimed that a man he identified only as “Nick”—allegedly Agasirwe—ordered the hit on Kagezi.
Sources close to the investigation say Agasirwe had initially been held at the Flying Squad headquarters in Kireka, where he was assisting authorities with ongoing inquiries. At the time of Kagezi’s murder, Agasirwe was serving as the commander of special police operations under then-Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura.
Kisekka’s testimony was part of a plea bargain agreement reached with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). As part of the deal, Kisekka pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for a reduced sentence, with terrorism charges dropped.
Appearing before a panel comprising Justices Michael Elubu, Stephen Mubiru, Dr. Winfred Nabisinde, and Celia Nagawa, Kisekka confessed that the group was paid $20,000 by an unnamed high-profile individual angered by Kagezi’s role in prosecuting sensitive, religion-related criminal cases.
Kisekka was sentenced to 35 years in prison, reduced to 34 after credit for time already served on remand.
Joan Kagezi, who was then a senior principal state attorney, was assassinated on March 30, 2015. She had stopped at a roadside stall in Kiwatule to buy vegetables on her way home to Najjera. She was accompanied by three of her four children.
As she returned to her vehicle, a man approached the driver’s window, pretending to ask for directions. When Kagezi rolled down the window, the man shot her twice in the neck at close range. The assailant then fled on a waiting motorcycle.
Kagezi was rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Her murder sent shockwaves through the country and the international community, given her involvement in prosecuting high-profile terrorism and war crimes cases.
The arrest and remand of Nixon Agasirwe mark a significant development in the long-stalled investigation. Authorities have not yet revealed whether further arrests are expected, but sources indicate that more suspects could be implicated as the case unfolds.
