Petrol bomb hurled at former RDC Eric Sakwa’s car

Police in Kampala say they are investigating a case in which former Jinja Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Eric Sakwa's car was last night petrol bombed by unknown assailants at Nakulabye, Kampala.

Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire said Mr Sakwa was saved by community members as one of the suspects was about to hurl the second petrol bomb at the car.

This is the third incident to happen in Kampala in just a week, the first two having been reported at Kireka.

No suspect has been arrested yet but Mr Owoyesigyire told this reporter that "We are previewing CCTV camera footage to identify the suspects."

In a related development, police are investigating a fire outbreak at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) headquarters near Central Police Station Kampala.

Three vehicles are said to have been burnt in URSB’s parking lot after unknown suspects using a boda boda hurled an object that had flammable liquid on the cars.

“We have had an unfortunate incident of a fire outbreak at our office parking lot on Plot 5, Georgian House. The police and fire brigade are on ground handling the situation,” URSB tweeted last night.

Fire prevention and rescue services personnel were dispatched to the scene and were able to put out the fire.

The incidents comes just days after police said they were hunting at least four people, including two teenagers who are said to have targeted private cars with petrol bombs during a traffic jam at Kireka Township last Thursday evening.

Mr Owoyesigyire last week said no one was injured in the incidents, but the cars were damaged. 

“We have obtained CCTV footage of one of the incidents. We are working on getting the footage of the second incident. The suspects will be arrested and prosecuted for carrying out such a felony that endangers life and property,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Owoyesigyire said on Friday. 

Police say there has been a string of attacks using petrol bombs in Kampala City since last year. Most of them have been targeting government vehicles. This is the first one where private cars have been targeted.

In the Thursday incidents at Kireka, the first attack was against Shafiq Mubiru near the railway crossing at around 8pm. 

Mr Owoyesigyire said the CCTV footage shows one male juvenile hurling a liquid in the bottle at the car which Mubiru was driving. Another child, he said, lit the liquid before they fled the scene.

“Mubiru told us that he heard a loud bang and then saw fire on his car. He got out to extinguish it. He was helped by the residents around to put the fire out. He has reported an arson case and we are investigating it,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.

Another incident happened at the same time a few metres away on Jinja Road when criminals on a motorcycle hurled a petrol bomb at a vehicle that was being driven by Ms Rose Kyasimire. She was in a traffic jam. 

Ms Kyasimire’s car was engulfed with fire, but the flames were put out by the residents and the police. 

Police haven’t yet identified the attackers in the second incident since their motorcycle’s number plate wasn’t visible.

Mr Owoyesigyire said they have strengthened patrols and deployments on all major roads in the city centre especially where there is traffic jam to secure the motorists. 

“The deployments will ensure that no motorist’s life or property is threatened or attacked. Police have put in place all its resources to ensure that the culprits are arrested and prosecuted,” he said.