One gunned down as security arrests four more suspected Gen Katumba attackers

The joint security team has arrested five more people suspected to be behind the attempted assassination of Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, killing of his daughter Brenda Nantongo and his driver Haruna Katuna on June 1, 2021.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech, identified the suspects in custody as; Muhammad Kagugube alias Bafumoya, Walusimbi Kamada alias Mudinka, Kisambira Siriman alias Mukwasi, and Mustafa Kawawa Ramadan alias Amin or Musa. Their colleague and leader Lutwama Hussein alias Master was killed as he resisted the arrest by the security officers.

“Our team pursued arrested Kagugube on June 26, and upon interrogation, he admitted to having participated in the violent attack, when he carried out surveillance on the movement of General Katumba Wamala from his home.  He immediately alerted the assault team, as soon as he spotted him and the direction he was taking.  After that, he went up to Bukoto near Oryx Petrol Station, where he waited for the two guns, but received only one and rode away with it,” he said.

Maj Gen Lokech said Kagugube provided details which led to the arrest of Kamada, one of the riders who transported the shooters.

“Upon his arrest, he led the team in reconstructing the scene and clearly demonstrated how the double murder and attempted assassination took place.  And how he transported his shooter called Kanaabe, through Kisota-Kisaasi-Bukoto up to Sebagala road, where he handed over the motorcycle to the shooter and they separated,” he said.

The DIGP told the media on Thursday afternoon that a thorough search had been conducted at all Kamada’s known premises and valuable exhibits such as a black helmet, 10 jackets, and one of the motorcycles used in the planning, preparation and execution of the plot were recovered.

He said the security team proceeded to Kawanda Village and arrested Mukwasi who received one of the killer weapons from Lutwama which he also later handed over to another member of the terror cell known as Mustafa Kawawa Ramadan alias Amin or Musa.

“The team followed up and arrested Kawawa from his home in Maganjo “B” LC1 in Nabweru Division.  Upon a search at his home, various exhibits, including materials used in making improvised explosive devices were recovered, as well as Al-Qaeda training manuals on how to make and detonate bombs, military materials, secret communication codes, and several Western Union transfer receipts from foreign services,” Maj Gen Lokech said, adding that the team then tracked down and arrested the gang leader Hussein along Nansana Nabweru road.

“The suspect who was the team leader and head of the domestic terror cell, put up very stiff resistance to the extent of grabbing a gun from an officer, but was subdued by the task team. He later succumbed to the injuries,” Maj Gen Lokech said.

According to Lokech, Hussein was the mastermind behind the plot, and the one who commanded all the other suspects before, during and after execution of the planned assassination.  He provided all logistics of guns, motorbikes, mobile phones and facilitation used in the surveillance and execution.

“We have now established that the overall coordinator of these domestic terror cells is Sheikh Abudin Hubaida Taheel Bukenya, an ex-ADF combatant who was given amnesty, but has violated it.  He is reactivating the domestic terror cells and is the brain behind the recruitment of assailants like Kagugube and Lubwama,” he said.

Maj Lokech added that the group has been behind the robberies of Nansana Cheap Store, Ntake as well as murder and the robbery of a Supermarket at Mpererwe.

Police had earlier arrested two suspects, Ismael Hussein Sserubula and Siraji Yusuf Nyanzi, who were charged in court and remanded to prison over the same incident.

Maj Gen Lokech says the linkage between these two groups is that the killer gun linked to the murder of the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kawesi and Major Kiggundu where Sserubula and Nyanzi are suspects, is the same gun used in Gen Katumba attack.

“We would like to confirm that this is a straight forward case of political violence and domestic terrorism.  The suspects are part of the team that trained in the North Kivu ADF camp and had started reactivating the domestic terror cells in the country. We want to applaud the Joint Task Teams for their breakthrough in cracking down the terror gang. We are now pursuing other members of the emerging domestic terror cell including the second shooter, Kanaabe,” he said.