Investigate source of guns used to terrorise us - locals

What you need to know:

  • Attacked. The appeal follows an incident in which two coffee traders in Kasese were shot at by unknown gunmen and robbed of their money.

Kasese residents have asked government to tighten security in the district and investigate the source of guns being used to terrorise people.

The residents, particularly coffee dealers, said there is a growing trend of assailants misusing the guns to raid people’s homes.
The appeal follows an incident in which two coffee traders were shot at by unknown gunmen and robbed of their money.

Mr Blazio Bangirana, 45, a coffee dealer, who is nursing injuries at Kilembe hospital, said he was attacked by gunmen on Monday evening.
The men shot him in the leg and took off with his Shs9.5 million, a mobile phone, national Identity card and other belongings.

Mr Bangirana said the thugs waylaid him at a fuel station in Rugendaraba Town after leaving the coffee store with his worker at about 7.15pm.
“They told us kneel down, but before we could do that, I was shot at three times in the leg as the thieves took off with a bag that contained money and other items,” he said.

He appealed to government to investigate the source of the guns.
His co-worker, Mr Wilson Lhuhariro, was beaten up and left unconscious.

“I woke up only to find my boss bleeding. I had to rush to Rugendabara stage where I got a vehicle that took us to Kilembe hospital,” Mr Lhuhariro said.
Mr Zebedayo Masereka Katya, a resident of Katooke Bugoye, who is also a coffee trader, was on October 7 shot at in the leg and his Shs2.8m stolen.

“I was attacked by two armed people in the morning as I opened my store. One was putting on police rain coat while another wore civilians clothes. I want government to come to our rescue before we are all finished,” Mr Masereka said at his hospital bed in Kilembe.

Mr Onismus Kibaya, the hospital administrator, appealed to government to provide enough security to citizens as the festive season draws nearer. Mr Kibaya said the hospital receives two or three patients every month as a result of gunshots from the region.

On October 2, a driver of Link Bus Company was injured on the head by unknown people as he was getting into Park Way Lodge in Kasese Town at about 2am.
Mr Vincent Twesige, the Rwenzori East police spokesperson, said they had already opened up an inquiry into the case.

“It is true the businessman was shot and money, ATM card, national Identity card robbed. Police visited the scene and were able to recover a bullet cartridge,” he said, adding that they would bring ballistic experts to establish the origin of the gun.
Mr Twesige appealed to the community to report to police any suspicious people in their areas.