Face to face with Masaka gangs: How we survived

Assailants dug a hole in my house - Mugera

“My name is Hassan Mugera, 32, a resident of Kyetume Village, Butayunja Parish, Kibinge Sub-county in Bukomansimbi District.

On the night of August 3 at around 4am, I was in the bedroom together with my wife when unknown assailants attacked my home. They first dug a hole in the house and gained access to the bedroom.

One of the attackers switched on the light in the bedroom. I saw him, he was tall, wearing a black attire and a facemask. Without saying anything, he started cutting me with a machete.

He started by cutting my legs so that I don’t run away, he continued cutting the head, and then the shoulder and the back.

I bled profusely and I thought I was going to die, but thank God, the medical personnel at Villa Maria Hospital, where residents rushed me, did a great job to save my life. A day before the attack , I had had a verbal exchange with one of my customers, but I don’t think he was behind the incident  since the man who attacked me was not the same size as the one who came to my shop at Kyetume Trading Centre .

I don’t have a personal grudge with anybody in my village and I am always busy at my shop. Up to now, I do not know what the intention of the attacker was because none of the other members of my family was injured during the attack. He did not even take anything from my house.

A police officer came to the hospital and recorded a statement from me, but I don’t know how far they have gone with their investigations.  I only heard that they said the attack was domestic-related, which is not true.’’

I lost consciousness after attack - Ntale

“My name is David Ntale, aged 33. I am a builder and a businessman at Kasubi Trading Centre in Kasijjagirwa, Masaka City.

I deal in agricultural products such as maize, beans, and coffee.

August 26 looked like any other normal day. I had a conversation with friends about what was happening in Masaka.

After a long discussion, I prepared to close my store in respect of the curfew rules. Little did I know the machete-wielding assailants were going to attack me. I thought the assailants could not attack me because I was in a trading centre.

As it approached 7.30pm, a gang of men with machetes and clubs raided my store. I got puzzled about what to do to save my life, I was helpless since I had no object for protection. I had no knowledge of what they wanted exactly, because I didn’t have money.

One assailant inflicted a heavy cut on my head, which left me unconscious.

By this time, all my neighbours had fled for their lives. I think after cutting me, the assailants thought I had died and that is why they took off, leaving me bleeding profusely.

I was told that after the attack, the neighbours came to my rescue and mobilised transport to take me to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment. I regained consciousness the following day when I was lying on a hospital bed.

 At hospital, I was first operated on to stop the bleeding and clotting. All the wounds were wrapped with a bandage after applying medicine.

I spent around 24 hours in the causality ward before being transferred to the general ward.

On the first day, I could not talk on my own or eat without being assisted, and I felt a lot of pain.

 It took me a week to slowly regain my senses and I am steadily improving.’’

Kivumbi has spent Shs1m on treatment

 “My name is Charles Kivumbi, 55, a causal labourer and resident of Bunyere Village in Lwengo District.

On the fateful evening (August 27), we had moved around the village, searching for machete-wielding thugs that children claim had entered a nearby forest.

We were doing this with the help of police and other security organs, but we failed to trace them.

Later around 7pm, my boss, Mr Eddy Mugamba, who is also our village chairperson, sent me to Ddegeya Trading Centre to buy sugar. On my way back, I was intercepted my three men armed with machetes. They asked me my name and where I was going. I told them I don’t talk to strangers as I continued walking very fast. They chased me and I accidentally fell down, they pounced on me and one cut my head, which forced me to raise an alarm that alerted residents who came to my rescue. Unfortunately, residents arrived after the assailants had fled. They instead rushed me to Ngeye Clinic where I received first aid.

I have since been bedridden and failed to resume my normal work due to the injuries I sustained on the head and in the chest. I have spent about Shs1m on medication.’’

Our outcry saved our lives - Nakirijja

“I am Joweriya Nakirijja aged 68. I reside in Kkingo Village, Kimaanya- Kabonera Municipality in Masaka City.

 I am a farmer and I stay with my two young sisters and six grandchildren.

On the fateful night of August 27, at about 8:30pm, we were attacked by the machete-wielding men that smashed the window glasses before making an attempt to enter the house.

The attackers first damaged the outdoor security lights before ordering us to open the door or else they could kill us.

I asked the children and my sisters to make an alarm so that our neigbours could come to our rescue, but the attackers shouted, warning us to stop making noise and threatening to kill us when they enter the house, but this never stopped us, we continued yelling as I made phone calls to the village chairperson.

I also told one of the grandchildren to call the police, but their telephone numbers could not go through.

As I was crying out for help, the village chairperson, Mr Ronald Kateregga, called my phone and said we should calm down. He said police were coming to rescue us. We continued making the alarm.  It took like an hour for police to arrive. And during all that time, we were exchanging words with the attackers.

When police arrived, they fired in the air to scare off the attackers. 

But because of my illness (high blood pressure), I fainted and regained by consciousness after being taken to Masaka Hospital. I thank God we did not suffer physical injuries.

Kateregga hit the of the attacker

 “My name is Ronald Kateregga aged 33.  I am the chairperson of Kkingo Village in Masaka City.

I do plumbing and commercial farming. It was on the evening of August 27 when I went to Kkingo Trading Centre. I usually go there to chat with residents. The main discussion of the day was rotating around insecurity in the area.

Fellow residents looked worried, but I assured them that plans were underway to set up a local security team of vigilantes to work closely with police to guard us.

Our discussion intensified and ended around 8pm. From there, I rushed to my home.

 A few minutes after entering my house, I heard an alarm from the neighbourhood, followed by a sound of breaking glasses, which I later noticed were window panes.

After a few seconds, I received a distress call from my neighbour, Ms Joweria Nakirijja, 68, informing me how bijambiya [machete-wielding] killers had attacked her home.

I swiftly prepared myself to go to their rescue. Unfortunately, as I stood in my living room, ready to move out, I saw a stranger through my glass window brandishing a panga (machete). I abruptly canceled my plan to go out and continued communicating with Ms Nakirijja on phone. A few minutes later, my window pane got smashed, but this did not scare me, I continued talking on the phone.

After creating a hole in the window, one of the attackers raised a panga trying to cut me. I used a club I was holding to hit the panga, but unfortunately, it fell outside and the assailant seems to have picked it.

I later learnt that police were pursuing the same attackers right from Ms Nakirijja’s home and by the time they arrived at my compound, they had already fled. 

That is how I survived.’’

Compiled by Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Gertrude Mutyaba, Ambrose Musasizi, Noeline Nabukenya, and Malik Fahad Jjingo