Who killed Isma Olaxess [New Vision CSI: Crime Stories]

In this episode of New Vision CSI: Crime Stories, we revisit the murder of controversial blogger and social commentator Isma Olaxess, who was gunned down outside his home in Kyanja, Kampala, on May 6, 2023. Drawing on original reporting by Charles Etukuri, Alex Balimwikungu, Jeff Andrew Lule, and Stuart Yiga, we reconstruct Olaxess' final hours, examine the investigation, and explore key leads - including a mysterious phone call and forensic evidence

Transcript

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May 6th, 2023. It's a quiet Saturday night in Chanja, one of Kampala's rapidly growing suburbs. A black vehicle slowly approaches a residential gate. Inside sits one of Uganda's most recognizable and controversial online personalities, a man who built a career on speaking his mind. A man loved by some and hated by others. A man who had spent years exposing, criticizing, mocking, and sometimes provoking the country's politicians, musicians, businessmen, and socialites. Most Ugandans knew him simply as Isma Olaxis. Moments later, gunfire shatters the night. By the time the shooting stops, the blogger is dead. Three years later, investigators are still trying to answer a question that has haunted Uganda since that night. Who killed Isma Olaxis? This is New Vision CSI Crime Stories. And this is the story of the murder of Isma Olaxis. Olaxis discovered that his greatest weapon was not money, power, or political influence. It was his voice. He launched online platforms where he commented on politics, entertainment, and social affairs. His videos were blunt, sometimes humorous, but often controversial. He became one of Uganda's most followed content creators. He appeared regularly on television and radio talk shows. Major brands began approaching him for influenza deals. Eventually he rose to become chairperson of the Uganda Bloggers Association. To his supporters, he was fearless. To his critics, he was reckless. Some said he stepped on powerful toes. Others alleged he sometimes crossed ethical lines. By 11 a.m., Yisma Olaxas' body were headed to Kamocha funeral home to prepare for his final send-off. Months before his death, warning signs had begun to emerge. Olaxis publicly revealed that he had received threatening messages related to some of his online content. One of the most notable warnings came after he posted material concerning alleged corruption at Enteb International Airport. In an audio message shared by Olaxes, an unidentified caller warned him to stop discussing airport matters. The caller told him that the issue was already being handled by the relevant authorities. The message ended with what many interpreted as a threat, a warning not to become a hero. At the time, nobody knew whether those threats would amount to anything, but investigators would later revisit them after his death. For you to think you can earn a living or a name through blackmail and abusing, it is something we condemn and we shall continue fighting it, but we also equally need your input as Uganda. Then came another controversy. Just days before he was killed, Holaxes posted commentary about the shooting of State Minister Charles Sengola. His remarks attracted criticism and renewed debate about his style of commentary. Whether those comments had anything to do with his death remains unknown. Saturday, May 6th, 2023. Olaxis begins his day much like many others. Friends later say he had gone to Victory Playground to play football. He was known for exercising regularly and maintaining an active lifestyle. Later, they spent time around an area commonly known as Monte. As evening approached, he joined his driver, Matthias Waswa. According to investigators, the two travelled through Munonio and used the Ntebe Expressway. They later stopped at Nyakana's pub in Mutungo, where they had dinner. At some point during the journey, something unusual happened. Olaxes received a phone call. The call was important enough for him to instruct his driver to stop near Munonio roundabout. They waited, the caller never appeared. Eventually, they resumed their journey. Years later, investigators would still be trying to identify whether that call was connected to what happened next. It's approximately 9.20 PM. Olaxes and his driver are approaching the gate to his residence in Chanja Central Zone. The blogger is almost home. A gatekeeper later recalls that Olaxes usually hooted before reaching the gate to alert him to open it, but on this night he would never make it through. According to witness accounts and police investigations, armed attackers emerge from hiding near the gate. One eyewitness later says the attacker first fires into the air. Then comes the real assault. Multiple shots ring out. Driver Matthias Waswa later tells investigators that he immediately jumped from the vehicle and lay on the ground. The gunman continues firing. Bullets smash through the vehicle. When the shooting stops, Waswa says he cautiously raises his head. He claims he sees the attacker checking whether Olaxes is dead. Moments later, the killer disappears into the darkness. The attack is over. Ibrahim Tusuvira, better known as Isma Olaxes, is dead. He's 51 years old. Police quickly seal off the area. Initial reports suggest an SMG rifle may have been used. But as the investigation progresses, police spokesperson then, Fred Enanga, later announces a different conclusion. Investigators now believe the killer used the pistol. That contradiction becomes one of several details investigators must reconcile. Forensic teams begin collecting evidence. Among the most significant discoveries is a glove recovered near the crime scene. Police cannon units are deployed. The dogs track the suspect's route. Investigators conclude that two attackers fled on foot before reaching a main road where a motorcycle was waiting. The killers escape, but they leave behind clues the glove, witness testimony, phone records, CCTV footage, and many unanswered questions. Almost immediately, police conclude that the attack was not random. This was a targeted killing. Investigators begin reconstructing Olax's final moments. They review CCTV footage, they examine phone records, and they focus heavily on the mysterious caller who contacted him shortly before the shooting. Police also detained driver Matthias Waswa to assist with investigations. Two additional suspects are arrested. In total, three people are held during the early stages of the inquiry. Meanwhile, detectives explore several possible motives. Was Olax's killed because of his social media content? Had he offended the wrong person? Were there political motives? Business disputes? Or was the answer hidden somewhere in the threats he had received over the years? Investigators refused to commit to any single theory. Politicians, musicians, bloggers, and ordinary Ugandans express shock. President Chewerim Seveni issues a strongly worded statement. He condemns the murder and vows that the killers will be phoned and punished. He tells Ugandans that those responsible will eventually be tressed. State House later sends condolences and financial support to the bereaved family. On May 7, 2023, Olaxes is laid to rest at his ancestral home in Nkonkonjeru, Buikwe district. Hundreds gather to say goodbye. But for his family, the search for answers is only beginning. Olaxes' mother, Sada Namiru, makes a direct appeal. She asks President Mseveni to ensure that those responsible for killing her son are brought to justice. His father, Mohammed Kasaja, thanks the president for standing with the family during their grief. But like many relatives of mother victims, he wants more than condolences, he wants answers. For months, public updates slow down. The case begins to fade from the headlines. Then in January 2024, investigators reportedly uncover a major lead. Forensic ballistic experts determine that the pistol used in the murder of Isma Olaxes appears to be the same weapon used in the attack on Pastor Aloshus Bujingo. That attack killed Bujingo's bodyguard, Richard Muhomuza. The revelation raises new questions. Could the same criminal network be responsible for both attacks? Was a professional assassin involved? Could multiple high profile shootings be connected? Investigators intensify inquiries yet, despite the apparent breakthrough, no public arrest or conviction follows. Today, years after the murder, the case remains unresolved. The glove recovered at the crime scene has never publicly led to a suspect. The mysterious phone caller has never been publicly identified. The CCTV trail has never produced a public breakthrough. No gunman has been publicly identified. No mastermind has been publicly named. No one has been convicted for the murder of Isma Olax's. And so the questions remain: who wanted him dead? Why was he killed just meters from his home? What role, if any, did the phone call play? And who pulled the trigger on that dark Saturday night in Chanja? Until those questions are answered, the murder of Isma Olaxis remains one of Uganda's most troubling, unsolved crimes. This episode of New Vision CSI Crime Stories was based on reporting by Charles Setukuri, Alex Balimwikungu, Jeff Andrew Lulay, and Stuatiga, with additional archival research and timeline reconstruction by the New Vision CSI Crime Stories podcast team. Thank you for listening.