Soroti murder: Kokunda’s final moments [Around Uganda]

In Soroti City, a routine morning turned tragic when mobile money agent Patricia Kokunda was attacked and fatally shot on Good Friday. In this episode, we retrace her final moments through a police reconstruction that has revealed how the killing was planned and carried out.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

This is the New Vision Daily podcast around Uganda with me, Razia Uthman. Today we bring you a chilling story from Soroti reported by Godfrey Ojore. The reconstruction of the Good Friday killing that has shaken the city and reignited concerns about the safety of mobile money operators not just in Soroti, but across Uganda. Recent police reports indicate that crime remains a significant concern nationwide. According to the latest annual crime report, Uganda records over 200,000 criminal cases annually, with theft and robbery among the most common offenses. Aggravated robberies, often involving weapons, number in the thousands each year. Mobile money-related crimes have also been rising. Police data and industry reports show that hundreds of cases involving mobile money agents are reported annually, ranging from fraud to violent robberies. In many cases, agents handling large cash transactions are specifically targeted, often after being trailed or profiled by the attackers. The risks are particularly high in rapidly growing urban centers and trading herbs where cash movement remains frequent. Against this backdrop, we turn to Soroti City. Business in Soroti City ground to a halt on Tuesday afternoon as police led murder suspects back to the streets where a young mobile money agent met her tragic end. Residents watched in silence as detectives retressed the final moments of 32-year-old Patricia Kokunda, whose killing on Good Friday has shaken the city's sense of safety and exposed the dangers faced by cash handlers.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Four suspects so far have been arrested. The two, Okelo Alex and Onego Felix, were arrested on the day of the incident, and we got some good clues, which led to the arrest of Epe Simon, who is commonly known as Iboda in Anyara Kalaki district. And with him, we found some amount of money on him, and then on Saturday we managed to arrest the suspected shooter.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

Led by the Kyoga East Regional Police Commander Ibrahim Saiga, the reconstruction exercise pieced together what investigators describe as carefully planned and ruthlessly executed robbery. The trail began in Mora Pesur, a suburb of the city, where police say the suspects first hatched their plan. According to investigators, Kokunda had been under surveillance for days. She was not just a mobile money agent, she was also a cattle trader known to move with large sums of cash to markets across the Tesla subregion. Detectives believe this made her a target. From her rented house near WaiY bus offices in the city center, her movements were closely monitored. Another team was stationed near Payunia Primary School, ready to track her that fateful morning. At around 5 40 a.m. on Good Friday, Kokunda left her home and boarded a taxi along Station Road near Golman Supermarket that's not far away from YY bus offices, and she was heading to Ochormon Cattle Market in Katakui District. What happened next unfolded with chilling precision. During the reconstruction, the key suspect, Simon Epeu Elliott's Iboda, demonstrated how he entered the taxi moments after Kokunda. He said when she entered the seat, I followed and pulled her out and grabbed her bag and then ran. But the robbery did not end there. As Kokunda tried to pursue him, an armed accomplice opened fire. She was shot in the legs, a wound that would later prove fatal. She was buried on Easter Monday. After the attack, the suspects fled towards Aminit in Soroti's East Division near Barlow's nursery and primary school. It's here police say that the group shared the stolen money. Epel told investigators he received eight million shillings along with an additional five million shillings meant for two other accomplices who allegedly masterminded the deal.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

We also managed to recover the suspected victim's smartphone in a bush in Chinjan.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

The total amount stolen is believed to exceed 40 million shillings. In a striking detail that underscores the brazenness of the crime, Epeu admitted to fleeing to Dokolo before returning to Otuboy in Kalaki district, where he reportedly spent part of the money in a bar. Kokunda later succumbed to her injuries at Suroti Regional Riferro Hospital, leaving behind a grieving family and a stunt business community. Her death has sparked renewed concern over the safety of mobile money operators, many of whom routinely handle large sums of money with minimal protection.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

So outstanding inquiries are still going on. We still intend to recover more exhibits in respect to this matter, but we believe with the arrest of these suspects, this is a very good breakthrough.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Police say swift investigations aided by CCTV footage led to the arrest of several suspects. Those currently in custody include Alex Okello, Felix Onego, Alfred Elasu, and Simon Epeo Elias Iboda, who narrated to the police during the reconstruction of the crime scene on Tuesday afternoon. Two other suspects kept quiet throughout the entire process of reconstructing the crime scene. According to Saiga, authorities have so far recovered seven million shillings and the victim's smartphone. Police have condemned the killing and urged the public, especially those dealing in cash, to take extra precautions. But for many in Soroti, the reconstruction offered more than just answers. It laid bare the terrifying reality of a crime that was planned, watched, and executed in plain sight. As the city slowly returns to normal, the memory of that Good Friday morning lingers, and it's a reminder of how quickly routine can turn into tragedy. That report was by Godfrey O'Jore. You're listening to the New Vision Daily podcast around Uganda. I'm Razia Usman.