Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 Expected to Crash in the Next 24 Hours

It's almost crash time for China's falling space station Tiangong-1. As school bus-sized space station began what should be its last day in orbit today (April 1), experts weighed in on the possibilities of space debris – and whether this situation should have happened in the first place.

Tiangong-1 is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere sometime between Sunday evening and early Monday, according to the European Space Agency. The latest forecast from the non-profit Aerospace Corp. pegged the space station crash at 8:10 p.m. EDT tonight (0010 GMT Monday, April 2), give or take 2.5 hours. But the time of the re-entry – along with the geographic area – is still highly volatile as Tiangong-1 continues its descent. [Track Tiangong-1! Use This Satellite Tracker]

"We know that Tiangong-1 is tumbling, or at least it was when Germany took [a] radar update, so the question is it still tumbling, and is the tumbling getting faster or slower," Andrew Abraham, a senior member of Aerospace's technical staff, told Space.com in an interview at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday (March 31) when the group released its latest forecast. He noted that the time of re-entry keeps getting pushed into the future, so the window of uncertainty remains large. As the re-entry time approaches, the range of re-entry times will narrow.

An artist's illustration of China's Tiangong-1 space station falling to Earth as it burns up in the atmosphere. The spacecraft is expected to crash uncontrolled sometime overnight on April 1 or 2, 2018.

Credit: China Manned Space Engineering Office

As of today, Tiangong-1 is flying in an orbit of 104 miles (167.6 kilometers) and falling, the China Manned Space Engineering Office said in a statement cited by Xinhua News Service. CMSEO officials have said Tiangong-1 will mostly burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, and is unlikely to cause any damage on the ground, CMSEO officials added.

Although Abraham said this is speculation on the part of Aerospace, he said it is possible Tiangong-1 is now encountering more of Earth's atmosphere as it falls towards the surface of the planet. If that's the case, the atmosphere might be influencing the attitude or orientation of Tiangong-1's tumble. He compared the situation to an arrow moving through the air, or a wind vane undulating in the wind. "They align themselves to the direction of travel," he said. "There's a bit higher drag in the back, and the center of mass is towards the front."

Aerospace uses publicly available data from the United States Air Force in making its Tiangong-1 predictions. The military has a network of radar and optical telescopes, and publishes data at spacetrack.org. Abraham said after Tiangong-1 enters Earth's atmosphere, there may be a delay of a few hours to confirm it. That's because Aerospace will wait for information from multiple sensors, in the case that Tiangong-1-'s descent isn't observed.

China's Tiangong-1 space station is predicted to fall somewhere between the latitudes of 42.8 degrees north and 42.8 degrees south, the area shaded in yellow and green here.

Credit: Aerospace Corporation

Uncontrollable fall

The docking of two robotic spacecraft, the Tiangong 1 space station and Shenzhou 8 capsule, provided a preview of larger Chinese space complexes planned for the future.

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor

Chinese space officials lost contact with the 9.4-ton (8.5-metric ton) station in 2016 after five successful years of operations, including two visits by Chinese crews of astronauts. China did not make it clear if they cut off contact with the station deliberately, or if they lost telemetry with Tiangong-1 due to a technical issue. Whatever the cause, the result was the same: Tiangong-1 began an inevitable descent into Earth's atmosphere.[China's Falling Space Station: Everything You Need to Know]

"This should not have happened," David Barnhart, a satellite designer who is the director of the University of Southern California's space technology and systems group, told Space.com Saturday (March 30). "To date, almost everything we put into space, at some point, is going to die. But something that large, we now have the technology to go up to it and prolong its life."

He said the demise of Tiangong-1 raises questions about the end of the International Space Station, which is projected to host crews until at least 2024, if not longer. It's unclear what will happen to the ISS after that. While the nominal plan is to deorbit it, at least one commercial company is considering using modules of the ISS for its own research. Barnhart urged engineers to plan how to re-use ISS as soon as possible, to avoid throwing it away into the Earth's atmosphere.

Tiangong-1's orbital inclination carried it over most of Earth's populated areas, between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south latitudes. The zone includes the United States, Central America, South America, Australia and much of Europe and Asia.

With so many people below Tiangong-1's path, its descent caused worldwide speculation about the dangers of space debris from the 9.4-ton (8.5-metric ton) module. Several entities closely monitored its fall and issued updates, including the China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) Office, the European Space Agency's Space Debris Office in Germany, and Aerospace Corp.

https://justfactsug.blogspot.ug/2018/04/satellite-tracker.html

Space debris concerns

Late in Tiangong-1's life, it was unclear how much debris would make it down to the surface.

"Our company has the ability to do that [predict space debris] if we have a firm idea of the exact composition of the space object … especially ones in which we're involved with the design," Abraham told Space.com in another interview earlier Saturday (March 31). [The Biggest Spacecraft to Fall Uncontrolled From Space]

"But because China doesn't really send that information, the best we can tell you is between 10 percent and 40 percent of the mass of Tiangong-1 would survive," he added. Assuming the space station is 9.4 tons, this would imply roughly 1,880 to 7,520 pounds (850 to 3,411 kg) would reach the surface, he confirmed, but this is a broad generalization given that Aerospace does not have Tiangong-1's exact composition.

While Space Safety Magazine gave similar space debris predictions, other people said not nearly as much material would make it through the atmosphere. In an interview with Space.com sister site Live Science, Harvard University astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell predicted only 220 lbs. to 440 lbs. (100 to 200 kg) would survive the descent.

China's first space station Tiangong-1, shown here in an artist's illustration, is expected to fall to Earth around April 1, 2018.

Credit: China Manned Space Engineering Office

USC's Barnhart said perhaps a couple of hundred pounds would make it to the surface, but that depends on many factors – the angle of Tiangong-1's re-entry, the melting point of any metals on board, and how shielded the inside of the space station will be from re-entry. He added that trying to predict Tiangong-1's generated space debris is no worse than other uncontrolled re-entries he saw. "It's pretty complicated stuff, but this is normal," Barnhart said.

China's CSME, for its part, told the public that little of Tiangong-1 would survive, and added it would most likely splash down somewhere in the ocean since water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface.

"It won't crash to the Earth fiercely, as in sci-fi movie scenarios, but will look more like a shower of meteors," read a March 29 update from CMSE, according to the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua.

How Tiangong-1 will break apart

The CMSE added that the disintegration of Tiangong-1 will take place in multiple phases, Xinhua added.

"During the first phase [of Tiangong-1's re-entry], the atmospheric drag will rip solar arrays, antennas, and other external parts off a spacecraft at an altitude of about 100 kilometers [62 miles]," Xinhua said, noting the station would likely disintegrate at 80 km (49 miles) in altitude. "The fragments will keep burning and most of them will get dissipated in air. Only a small amount of debris will reach the ground, and will float down at a very slow speed due to their small mass."

China began addressing safety concerns at least as far back as May 2017, when representatives from the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China made a statement to the United Nationsoutlining their plan to disseminate information through the media and government channels. Back then, they predicted re-entry would happen any time between October 2017 and April 2018.

As Tiangong-1's re-entry time drew close in March, the sun's activity confounded predictions. Forecasts of the sun's activity at first showed that a stream of particles would collide with Earth's atmosphere, causing it to balloon. The increased atmospheric density at Tiangong-1's low altitude would, predictions said, cause the station to fall faster into the atmosphere as its orbital speed slowed due to drag.

The sun remained quiescent, however, and Tiangong-1's final entry time was delayed by several days due to lower atmospheric density than expected. The atmosphere not only affects the resistance Tiangong-1 encountered in its orbit, but how it was expected to fall apart, Barnhart said. "Most platforms in space are made from some level of aluminum or titanium," he added. "Each has a different melting point, and they are also affected differently from the forces they will see in the atmosphere."

Fireballs and debris

The chance of Tiangong-1 hitting any single spot on the surface is extremely low; a particular person would have a far better chance of winning the Powerball jackpot, according to Live Science. The odds of getting hit by space station debris were about in 292 trillion. The odds of winning the Powerball are about one in 292 million, according to Aerospace Corp.

To Live Science, McDowell said that anyone underneath the re-entry path at night would likely see a spectacular show. "Fireballs are almost certain," he said in an e-mail. "What happens is that there are some dense sections of the lab connected together by a rather thin structure," McDowell added, explaining the source of the fireballs. "The thin structure melts first, turning the lab into a bunch — a few to a few dozen, depending — of independent pieces which melt and burn more slowly — fireballs."

Tiangong-1 is about the mass of ATV-1 "Jules Verne", a European cargo freighter that came back from the International Space Station in 2008. ESA deliberately targeted Jules Verne for a nighttime descent over the Pacific Ocean; a chase plane filmed fireballs lighting up the darkness. ESA posted footage of the light show in 2015. Aerospace Corp. said Tiangong-1 could generate fireballs of a similar magnitude, if it fell at night.

Tiangong-1 is just one example of large space modules falling apart in Earth's atmosphere. The descending Skylab space station famously dropped pieces into rural Australia, west of Perth, in 1979; however, Skylab was about 10 times more massive than Tiangong-1. Other prominent examples of uncontrolled re-entries include NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (2011) and Europe's Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (2013).

Chinese space station operations remain active with a successor space station, called Tiangong-2. The newer station launched in September 2016, and astronauts aboard Shenzhou 11 visited Tiangong-2 in October and November 2016. China plans an even larger, multi-module space station that will be built in the 2020s.

Editor's note: If you spot Tiangong-1 streaking across your sky during its re-entry and capture video or images of the descent, let us know! You can send images and video in to matalamikedanielz@gmail.com. This story was updated at 10:36 a.m. EDT to include the latest re-entry forecast by ESA and Aerospace Corp.

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Aliens could be living in the acid clouds of Venus say Nasa (though they are only likely to be tiny bacteria)

• Blooms of space-algae might have been spotted in planet's upper atmosphere
• Its clouds hold large amounts of sulfuric acid and reflect 75 per cent of sunlight
• The planet has been dubbed Earth's evil twin because of its inhospitable surface 

Aliens could be living in the acid clouds of Venus, a study backed by Nasa says.

Researchers think the sulfur dioxide-rich upper atmosphere of the planet might be home to simple microbial life.

Scientists used space probes to detect dark patches around the rust-coloured body, which resemble the light-absorbing properties of bacteria on Earth.

Venus' upper atmosphere is made up of sulfur-dioxide and droplets of sulfuric acid which fall to the surface as rain.
The mysterious patches could be blooms of space-algae, similar to those which occur in lakes and ponds.

Venus' cloud are partly made of sulfuric acid and reflect 75 per cent of the sunlight that falls on them, making them completely opaque.

The planet has been dubbed Earth's evil twin because of its incredibly inhospitable surface conditions, where it rains acid and is 462C.

The planet has been dubbed Earth's evil twin because of its incredible heat and acid state

The research, published earlier this week in the journal Astrobiology, suggests extra-terrestrial microbes could survive by being blown around by winds in the cooler cloud tops.

Paper co-author and biological chemist at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, said: 'On Earth, we know that life can thrive in very acidic conditions, can feed on carbon dioxide, and produce sulfuric acid.'

Venus once had a habitable climate with water on its surface for as long as 2 billion years.

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Spy poisoning: Russia expels 60 US diplomats in tit-for-tat measure

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Image captionThe US Consulate in St Petersburg is to be closed

Russia has expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the St Petersburg consulate in a tit-for-tat response to US action over a spy poisoning case in the UK.

Russia's foreign minister said other countries that expelled Russians could expect a "symmetrical" response.

It comes amid a row over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in southern England.

The White House said Russia's move to expel its diplomats had been "not unanticipated".

It marked "a further deterioration in the United States-Russia relationship", it said in a statement.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury on 4 March, and the UK government has blamed Russia for the attack.

Image copyrightEPA/ YULIA SKRIPAL/FACEBOOK

Image captionSergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital since the attack

Russia has vehemently denied any role in the Salisbury attack. Mr Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter's condition is said to be improving.

More than 20 countries have expelled Russian envoys in solidarity with the UK. Among them is the US, which earlier this week ordered 60 diplomats to leave and closed the Russian consulate general in Seattle.

• What the diplomat expulsions tell us
• What next for Russia’s spy networks?
• Full coverage of the Russia spy poisoning

Whom is Russia expelling?

Russia declared 58 US diplomats in Moscow and two in the city of Yekaterinburg to be "personae non gratae".

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would respond "in kind"

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said US ambassador Jon Huntsman had been informed of the "retaliatory measures".

"As for the other countries, everything will also be symmetrical in terms of the number of people from their diplomatic missions who will be leaving Russia," he added.

Later, a US state department spokeswoman said America reserved the right to take further action.

The Russian foreign minister also accused Britain of "forcing everyone to follow an anti-Russian course".

He said Moscow was responding to "absolutely unacceptable actions that are taken against us under very harsh pressure from the United States and Britain under the pretext of the so-called Skripal case".

He reiterated Russian calls for consular access to Yulia Skripal - a Russian citizen.

Russia, he said, was also seeking a meeting with leaders of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to "establish the truth".

• Sergei Skripal: Who is the former Russian colonel?
• What was the Cold War?
• Russian spy: The story so far

How did the tit-for-tat expulsions begin?

Following the incident in Salisbury, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a series of sanctions, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats alleged to be intelligence agents.

The Kremlin responded by expelling an equal number of UK diplomats and closing the country's British Council.

Then - in what has been cited as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history - more than 20 governments expelled diplomats in their countries.

UK National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill, speaking in Washington on Thursday, said expulsions by Western countries were aimed at rooting out covert Russian intelligence networks.

What do we know about the nerve agent?

Britain says the chemical used in the attack was part of a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union known as Novichok.

Experts from the OPCW arrived in the UK on 19 March to test samples. The results are expected to take a minimum of two weeks, the government says.

Police say the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, with the highest concentration found on the front door.

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Breaking news:

The minister of security(Uganda) and the inspector of police have been fired  by the president of the republic of Uganda, this has come as a result of many fights and accusations of each side pointing at each other as the source of insecurity in the country. 

Today evening  the president of uganda His excellence Yoweri Kaguta Museveni decaired officially that He had replaced the two( minister of security and inspector general of police) 

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

25 mins · 
In exercise of powers granted to me by the Constitution, I have appointed Gen Elly Tumwine as the Security Minister. I have also appointed Mr Okoth Ochola as the Inspector-General of Police. He will be deputised by Brig Sabiiti Muzeei. 

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DRC's army recovers largest Ugandan rebel stronghold

Beni - Democratic Republic of Congo's army says it has captured the largest stronghold for the Uganda-born Allied Democratic Forces rebels in Congo's northeast.

Capt. Mak Hazukay Mongba, spokesperson for Operation Sukola, said on Monday the army released hostages and took control of the "grand bastion" of ADF rebels in Mwalika, about 80km from Beni.

According to Human Rights Watch, ADF rebels have killed about 1 000 people in the Beni region over the last three years. The Congolese army has captured dozens of rebels including a dozen who were sentenced to death.

A December 7 attack on a UN base outside Beni killed 14 Tanzanian peacekeepers in the deadliest single assault on a peacekeeping mission in almost 25 years.

The ADF, which formed in the 1990s, eventually relocated from Uganda to eastern DRC.

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North Korea slams Trump's State of the Union address

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 file photo, a North Korean girl walks past the Taedong Gate in Pyongyang, North Korea. Temperatures were forecast to drop below -19 degree Celsius (-2.2 degree Fahrenheit) this week in the North Korean capital. North Korea on Sunday, Feb. 4, slammed President Donald Trump's State of the Union address and said its nuclear capabilities would "deter Trump and his lackeys from showing off on the Korean peninsula."(AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday slammed President Donald Trump's State of the Union address and said its nuclear capabilities would "deter Trump and his lackeys from showing off on the Korean peninsula."
In his address last week, Trump said that "no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea."
"We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and to our allies," Trump said.
On Sunday, a North Korean foreign ministry official shot back at the president.
"If Trump does not get rid of his anachronistic and dogmatic way of thinking, it will only bring about the consequence of further endangering security and future of the United States," the official said, in comments carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
The official disputed Trump's claim in his address that the United States had "made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success" over the last year, calling it "the height of Trump-style arrogance, arbitrariness and self-conceit."
Trump also said in his speech that the U.S. was "waging a campaign of maximum pressure" to prevent North Korea from being able to attack the U.S. with nuclear weapons.
The foreign ministry official said that North Korea's "self-reliant defense capability with the nuclear force as its backbone will, however, completely deter Trump and his lackeys from showing off on the Korean peninsula."
On Friday, Trump sought to increase pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear program by consulting with allies and highlighting the human rights abuses suffered by defectors from North Korea.
Trump hosted about a half-dozen North Korean defectors in the Oval Office, including Ji Seong-ho, who had used crutches to escape the reclusive country after a train ran over his limbs. Days earlier, Ji raised his crutches in triumph when Trump singled him out during his State of the Union address.
Trump has expressed a willingness to deal with rising tensions with Pyongyang through diplomacy, but he has said the United States would use military force on North Korea if needed.

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Police arrest suspected killer of singer Mowzey Radio

Godfrey Wamala (in red shirt), who is suspected to have assaulted Mowzey Radio in a bar in Entebbe, being led by Katwe Police Station commander Frantile Lwamusaayi to the police pick up on Monday morning. The suspect was transferred to Entebbe Police Station where the offence was allegedly committed. Photo by Andrew Bagala.  

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By just the facts

Police have arrested a man suspected to have beaten Uganda singer Moses Ssekibogo alias Mowzey Radio causing his head injuries that later led him to his death at Case Hospital where he had been admitted for about a week.

Radio was beaten into coma at De Bar, a popular hangout in Entebbe town on the night of January 22.
Godfrey Wamala alias Troy was arrested at Kyengera in Wakiso District on Sunday night after a tip off by a team led by Katwe Division Police commander Frantile Lwamusaayi.
Upon arrest, Wamala was taken to Katwe Police Station where he recorded a statement before he was transferred to Entebbe Police Station where the offence was committed.

Mr Lwamusaayi confirmed the arrest but said the details can be got from the Commander Kampala Metropolitan Police, Mr Frank Mwesigwa, whom he said supervised the tracking of the suspect and his operation.
“We have handed him over to Entebbe Police Station where he is facing a charge of murder. Details of what he told police should be got from the police spokesmen or Kampala Metropolitan Police commander,” Mr Lwamusaayi said.

At the time of his arrest, Wamala was staying with a friend.

Deceased: Singer Mowzey Radio. COURTESY PHOTO

According to officers, who participated in his arrest, said he confirmed to them that he was with Mowzey, David Washington Ebangit, Pamela Musiimire, one Hassan and others on the fateful day.
He said when the fracas started they were seated on the same table.
He said the fracas was sparked off when Mowzey poured alcohol on Hassan, who got angry and attempted to fight but two were separated before they could even exchange fists.

He said the bar personnel intervened.
He reportedly told investigators that during the scuffle, men whom he didn’t know came and grabbed Mowzey near the table and dragged him outside of the bar.
He said Mowzey’s colleagues, including Washington, remained seated, but he moved out of the bar only to find Mowzey lying down motionless near the entrance.

Although he denied beating Mowzey, De Bar managers, who are currently detained by the police accuse him of have assaulted the deceased.
He said it was then that all the people came to his aid and Pamela, Washington and others took the motionless Mowzey to the medical centre.
He said thereafter, he went back to home but learnt two days after the incident that the police was hunting for him, which triggered him to go into hiding.
Mowzey died at Case Hospital on February 1 and he was buried on Saturday at Nakawuku in Wakiso District.

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Uganda's Museveni: I love Trump for being frank with Africans

https://justfacts.blogspot.ug/Uganda's Museveni: I love Trump for being frank with Africans

Image caption Mr Museveni has said he appreciates Trump's frank language

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has given a speech declaring his "love" for US President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump was accused of referring to African nations as "shithole" countries during an immigration meeting.
Mr Trump has denied making the remarks but US senators who attended the meeting say that he did.
The African Union demanded that Mr Trump apologise for his "clearly racist" comments.

"America has got one of the best presidents ever," Mr Museveni said to laughter during the opening of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
"I love Trump because he tells Africans frankly. The Africans need to solve their problems, the Africans are weak."
Mr Museveni's comments are in opposition to the reaction of many leaders who have condemned Mr Trump's language.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron told the BBC that he shared Africa's outrage.

On Monday, people in Haiti, another country that Mr Trump disparaged, protested against the president's remarks.
Mr Museveni's defence of the US president came just hours after the US ambassador to Uganda criticised Mr Trump.
"[His words] are obviously quite disturbing and upsetting," Deborah Malac said.
Mr Trump allegedly used the term "shithole countries" when asking why the US should accept immigrants from Haiti and some countries in Africa.
In 2017, Mr Trump allegedly said that Afghanistan was a terrorist haven; all people from Haiti "have Aids", and that Nigerians would never "go back to their huts" once allowed into the US,
The White House denied Mr Trump made the comments.

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UPDF involvement in Case Clinic murder investigations explained

Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, the Deputy UPDF Spokesperson and his Police Counterpart, Emilian Kayima addressing journalists on Monday about the joint city operations

Details have emerged showing how the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) got involved in the investigations into the murder of Francis Ekalugar, the former Accountant of Case Clinic. Police opened up investigations shortly after Ekalugar’s burnt body was recovered from Kajjansi, a city suburb on January 3rd, 2018.
Ekalugar was kidnapped and killed on January 02, 2018 on his way to bank Shillings 15 million. Police recorded statements from Ekalugar’s workmates and also analyzed the CCTV footage recovered from Case Clinic. Police picked up two security guards who were on duty when Ekalugar is believed to have disappeared but released them shortly.
According to police sources, after analyzing the CCTV footage police investigators noticed that there were two Boda boda riders who tracked the deceased from the clinic. However, the police investigations stalled as police couldn’t trace the Boda boda riders but something happened about a week ago.
It is alleged that an operative from CMI overheard someone in a bar talking about a man who had got Shillings 15 million from a deal just as the year begun.
The operative, whose identity has been withheld for his own safety, pushed the conversation a little further and after a couple of beers, the source named Huzairu Kiwalabye, a member of Boda boda 2010 and brother to the Association chairman, Abdallah Kitatta. On getting this information, CMI tipped Kajjansi Police Station that Kiwalabye could have been behind the death of Ekalugar.
As police detectives were busy trying to put the pieces together and get additional information that could place Kiwalabye at the crime scene, the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task force (JATT) where the CMI operative is deployed received orders to arrest Kiwalabye.
A reliable source from JATT told this publication that things changed from one day to the other. “At first JATT was not interest in handling this matter then after a day or two, we were told that there were orders for us to trace and arrest Kiwalabye,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
According to the source, JATT swung into action without notifying police and picked up Kiwalabye on Friday last week and dragged him to Mbuya for interrogation. Kiwalabye reportedly confessed his involvement in the kidnap and murder of Ekalagur and named his accomplices.
Some of those mentioned included Muzamiru Mawa, the driver to Dr. Ssebale Kato, the Proprietor of Case Clinic, Kikandi Muhindo and David Bizimani, both Congolese nationals at whose residence Ekalugar’s was found. He also mentioned four other Boda boda riders. The information from the source is collaborated by revelations from the Defense Ministry, Deputy Spokesperson, and Lt. Col Deo Akiiiki.
He told the media that the army acted on intelligence from a CMI operative. “We got intelligence information from a CMI operative working with JATT,” Lt Col. Akiiki told journalists at the government owned media center while explaining the UPDF involvement in the operations, which should have ideally been the work of police.
“We didn’t know if the murder was a terror activity or if it was a threat to National security so we had to work together,” he said.
How the Kidnap was planned
According to the source, Mawa approached some of his friends in Boda boda 2010 including Kiwalabye with the deal. He reportedly told them how one of their accountants usually moves with a lot of cash to the bank.
The group resolved to kidnap Ekalugar and rob him of the cash. On January 02, 2018, Mawa tipped off his accomplices that Ekalugar was moving money to the bank. Kiwalabye drove to the scene of the robbery in a super custom while four others tracked Ekalugar on motorcycles.
Two of the cyclists deliberately knocked Ekalugar’s vehicle a Toyota Premio registration number UAW 899U adjacent to the Health Ministry headquarters in Wandegeya. Ekalugar reportedly moved out of the vehicle to check on the damage.
Two of the suspects intercepted Ekalugar as he was returning to his vehicle, and dragged him to super custom that has parked nearby. One of the riders took charge of Ekalugar’s vehicle and sped off to Kabowa. Ekalugar’s body that was burnt beyond recognition was recovered the next day from a bush in Kajansi.
Six of those who were part of the robbery and subsequent killing of Ekalugar are under police custody. Four other suspects are still at large.
Kitatta’s Involvement in the Case
According to the source, Kitatta who also doubles as the Lubaga National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairman and a close confidant of the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, got involved in the case after the arrest of his brother.
Trouble for Kitatta started when he appeared on Top Radio and started mobilising members of Boda boda 2010 to push for the release of his brother, despite the fact he wasn’t aware of why he had been picked up.
Kitatta reportedly made threatening statements against the army and the state, prompting Military Police to raid the station and pick him up. Some members of Boda boda 2010 attempted to put up resistance but were contained by the military Police officers.
The officers also raided the officers of Boda boda 2010 to conduct a search, but met some resistance leading to several arrests bringing the number of suspects to 28. During the joint press conference held on Monday, Police spokesperson, Emillian Kayima, said they were scrutinising the suspects. “Whoever will be found culpable will be held to account,” he said.
Reaction to Arrest of Boda boda 2010 members
The arrest of the members of Boda boda 2010 has drawn excitement among rival boda boda factions, which accuse the group of mistreatment and torture. On Monday, members of the rival factions raided the offices of Boda boda 2010 in Natete, Wakaliga and Bakuli and destroyed property.
At least 14 suspects were picked up by police in connection to the attacks and destruction of property. Police also impounded 45 motorcycles left behind some of the riders believed to have been behind the attacks.

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