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Police, army hunt for bomb ‘terrorists’
Joint security agencies seal off the crime scene at Mayor Zone in Kabalagala, Kampala, where an explosive went off on Saturday night. PHOTO | MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- The explosion comes less than a month since the US and UK government issued terror alerts to their nationals to avoid crowded areas for fear of being targeted by terrorists.
Security agencies have started a hunt for suspected terrorists, who they allege planted two explosives in two busy townships in Kampala Metropolitan area.
The two blasts that took place at around 9:30pm in Kabalagala, Makindye Division, and in Nansana Municipality in Wakiso District, didn’t claim any lives, but injured one person, according to security agencies.
The injured person has been identified as Joy Nakasagga, 23, a food vendor in Kabalagala.
President Museveni accused the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels for being behind the explosion.
“The other infiltrators, in collusion with some individuals within the country, tried to plant bombs in Kikuba-mutwe, Kabalagala area and Nabweru II cell. However, due to the vigilance of the Wanainchi (members of the public) and the security forces, the two bombs went off without harming anybody,” President Museveni said in a statement yesterday.
The explosion comes less than a month since the US and UK government issued terror alerts to their nationals to avoid crowded areas for fear of being targeted by terrorists.
Security personnel from the police and the military yesterday cordoned off the two crime scenes as they examined the fragments of the devices.
Maj Charles Kabona, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) 1st Infantry Division spokesperson, said one of the two devices was an improvised explosive device popularly known as IED.
“The bomb squad is on the ground. We have established that these are the explosives that ADF terrorists use,” Maj Kabona said at the crime scene in Kabalagala.
An eyewitness, who operates a shop near the scene in Kabalagala, said she heard a bang and the area was covered by smoke.
“My children and I ran to the bedroom and hid under the bed for some time until the police arrived,” she said.
Police detectives recorded statements of eyewitnesses.
The road isn’t covered by CCTV cameras and it has several shortcuts to the slums which makes it difficult to track the suspects.
Mr Joseph Kizito, the defence secretary of Nabweru North II, said the incident happened at 8pm.
Mr Kizito added that the blast happened in a vacant double-room rental, which was to be occupied by the new tenant yesterday.
“The blast damaged both rooms, but there was no one in the neighbourhood who was injured,” Mr Kizito said.
He said they don’t know who planted the device but the investigators are reconstructing the crime scene to establish those behind the incident.
Ms Harriet Nakaweesi, a witness, said the blast scared the hell out of them.
“When we came out of the house, it was when we saw that the house was damaged,” she said.
Mr Shafiq Ali Nsubuga, the Nansana Municipality deputy resident division commissioner (RDC), issued fresh guidelines to the landlords to get a copy of the National Identity card of their tenants and letters from the chairpersons of their previous residences.
To businesses such as bars, he said owners should search their clients using metallic detectors before they access the premises.
