Gunmen trailed Gen Katumba’s vehicle for four kilometres- says Gen Lokech

The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech has revealed that the assailants who shot Gen Edward Katumba Wamala trailed his vehicle for over four kilometres.

Unknown armed assailants moving on two motorcycles opened fire at the vehicle of the Works and Transport  Minister  at Kisota- Kulambiro road, killing his daughter, Brenda Nantongo and driver Haruna Kayondo.

Gen Katumba Wamala sustained injuries and was rushed to Medipal  International Hospital in Kololo where he is receiving treatment.

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the deputy police chief said preliminary investigations have indicated that the former CDF was trailed from his home, which is four kilometres away from the scene of the crime.

“The assailants trailed the motor vehicle as it left the home of Gen Katumba Wamala at Bulabira – Najjera, until when they reached at a remote area located 4kms away along the Kisota –Kulambiro road,”Lokech said in a statement.

“The assailants who were four in number were riding on two motorcycles with concealed number plates, pulled up next to Gen Katumba Wamala’s car and shot several bullets that instantly killed Nantongo Brenda and Haruna Kayondo.”

The deputy IGP said the shooting happened between 8:47am and 8:58am.

He noted that the shooting was not an isolated or random incident but rather targeted and noted investigations into the same have now kicked off with an aim of bringing the culprits to book.

“A team of experts from the directorate of CID and Forensic are thoroughly documenting the scene for traces of evidence. At this stage we attribute the shooting to four armed assailants, who managed to escape from the scene. The exact motivation towards the targeted shooting is not yet established,” he said.

“We consider such attacks as a form of organized crime, with a potential of extremism, aimed at undermining the prevailing stability. We are however, confident that we shall identify the suspects and take very resolute enforcement action against them in accordance with the law.  And further warn those individuals and groups already drawn into these acts of terrorism, that we shall definitely track them down for further prosecution in the courts of law.”

Earlier, President Museveni also assured the public that the masterminds of the shooting whom he termed as “pigs”  will be brought to book to answer for their deeds.

“The pigs who do not value life shot at Gen. Katumba, killed his daughter and driver and injured him. We shall defeat these criminals as we did in the past. We already have clues to those killers,” Museveni said.

He was, however, quick to suggest that Gen Katumba Wamala’s bodyguard should have shot dead the gunmen instead of shooting in the air to scare them away.

“The bodyguard should not have shot in the air. He should have shot to kill. We could be having a dead terrorist instead of scaring away the terrorists. His shooting saved Gen. Katumba by scaring the criminals away.”

Past incidents

In the past, state prosecutor Joan Kagezi, Maj Muhammad Kiggundu, AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi, ASP Muhammad Kirumira and Col Ibrahim Abiriga have been killed in a similar fashion by assailants moving on motorcycles spraying their vehicles with bullets.

Following the spate of shootings, President Museveni directed the installation of CCTV cameras on major highways, cities and towns all over the country.

Since the installation of the cameras, the shootings had gone down.

However, to date, no suspect has been convicted over any of those murders.