Tears as Uganda remembers bomb victims

Kampala

Memorial prayers were yesterday held as Ugandans marked the first anniversary of the July 11, 2010 twin bombings in Kampala. More than 80 people were killed and scores of others injured when al- Shabaab insurgents bombed Kyadondo Rugby Club and Ethiopian Village Restaurant.

The four-hour inter-denominational memorial prayers at Kyadondo Rugby Club playground, evoked tears, as memories of the gruesome attack came fresh in the minds of the bereaved families and survivors.

Relatives and friends of the victims, dressed in black could not hold back tears as names of 86 victims were read out. Candles were lit and wreaths laid on a monument built for the victims at the playground. Some of the survivors were revisiting the place for the first time since the attack.

One of the waiters at Kyadondo, Mr Peter Otim, said he saw one of the bombs wrapped in a polythene bag, placed under a table on a stool as he cleaned tables before it was detonated. “I had come to remove the plates on the table and saw something wrapped in a polythene bag. I wanted to remove and keep it, thinking that may be somebody had forgotten groceries bought in the supermarket. But I later left it,” he said.

Suspected Somali insurgents detonated bombs that ripped through the crowds that had gathered to watch the football World Cup finals at Kyadondo in Lugogo and Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala. The prayers were jointly presided over by religious leaders from the Catholic, Anglican, evangelical (born-again), Bahai, Muslim and the Orthodox denominations, under the umbrella of Inter-religious Council.

In his sermons, the Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, Wilberforce Luwulira, described the terror attack that ripped through the crowds as “gruesome evil”. “As we gather here today, the painful memories cloud our minds, those who planned and carried out this ruthless act, should face justice wherever they are,” he said. “The root of all this, is evil.”

Pastor Joseph Serwadda of Victory Christian Church, Ndeeba, said it is wrong to kill in the name of fighting for freedom. “We appeal to all those agitating for their freedoms to do so in a way that respects not only the freedoms of others but also the sanctity of life,” said Pastor Joseph Serwadda. The al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the terror attack, saying it was retaliation for Uganda’s deployment of troops in Somalia to support the Transitional Federal government.

Ex-Somali PM ‘sorry’
Former Somali Prime Minister Mohammed “Fermajo” Abdullahi Mohammed, who is on a visit to Uganda, apologised to Ugandans but defended Islam, saying it is a peaceful religion. The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Julius Odwe, described July 11 as the day when evil of terror visited Uganda. He said security forces have redoubled their surveillance and alertness against terrorism in Uganda. “Whereas the arrest and the prosecution of those involved may be a consolation to the bereaved families, we would like re-assure the country that we will do everything possible to prevent such acts from happening again,” he said.

Internal Affairs minister Hilary Onek blamed religious extremism used by terror outfits like al-Shabaab and the global terror network, al-Qaeda, to carry out terror activities. “It’s good that this service was organized by the religious leaders to show reconciliation and peaceful co-existence. It’s a challenge to the groups like al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda who say they kill in the name of God,” Mr Onek said.