Suspected ADF commander arrested in Masaka, nine guns recovered - police
Police display some of the weapons recovered from the suspected ADF operative arrested in Masaka City on December 25, 2022. PHOTO/ GERTRUDE MUTYABA
Police said on Sunday that they recovered nine guns and improvised explosive devices from the home a suspected ADF operative intercepted riding on a motorcycle at Kyali-Kyalugo village, Nyendo Mukungwe Division in Masaka City in central Uganda.
The suspect, identified as Ali Katende is a senior ADF commander of the Nyendo, Masaka terror cell, according to police spokesperson, Fred Enanga.
He was arrested by the Police Flying Squad following an intelligence-led operation before leading detectives to where he had hidden a PK machine Gun, seven SMGs, one Pistol and IEDs. The cell has been linked to the ones in Maganjo and Matugga, and related attacks on police stations, according to Mr Enanga.
"We're happy that the leader of the terror cell in Nyendo, Masaka identified as Ali Katende alias Mao was arrested. They would coordinate all these attacks from Masaka. They would join the other two terror cells in Maganjo and Matuga and carry out attacks on police units and civilians in the country. We built on the intelligence that we obtained from the ADF suspects arrested earlier. We managed to track down Ali Katende," Mr Enanga told journalists in Kampala on Sunday before adding that some of the guns had been used in earlier attacks on Busiika and Kabadazza police stations.
In Masaka, the Regional Police Commander Alfred Bangambaki told journalists that they got a tip off from the residents of Kyali-Kyalugo village.
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“We invited the bomb squad and neutralized the explosives to avoid them from endangering the community,” Mr Bangambaki said.
The explosives were found packed in a small box, wrapped with polythene paper and buried underground, according to Bangambaki.
He said the polythene bag had started decomposing which means the weapons had been concealed there for months.
The suspect is currently detained at the Armored Brigade in Kasijjagirwa barracks in Masaka as investigations continue.
There has been a growing spate of attacks on security installations and personnel mainly targeting police officers, which Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Katsigazi, recently blamed on a so-called Uganda Coalition for Change rebel group.
“The problem of attacking police posts and taking guns is a deliberate effort by a group of people who seem to think they can change the government by force. So, it’s no longer the same criminals who come and attack with machetes and rob. This is mainly to kill and take guns,” Katsigazi, a two-star military general parachuted as second-in-command in police, said on November 4.
In his televised address on November 20, President Museveni said the attacks on police posts were carried out by individual criminals and ADF rebels, but some of the culprits were either arrested or killed.
“It is really foolish that you can commit crimes in Uganda, under the National Resistance Movement, and you survive,” he said. “Anybody who kills people will be arrested or killed if he resists arrest,” he added.
Mr Museveni said the assailants left “a lot of evidence at the crime scenes” that was used to track them down.
“No one should get worried about these groups,” he said, adding that the army and the police would deal with them.
"It is foolishness to think you can commit crime in Uganda under NRM and you survive. Anybody who kills people will be arrested or killed if he tries to resist," he added.
