Things could have been worse- says Gen Katumba Wamala as he salutes bodyguard

The former Minister for Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala has hailed his bodyguard for fighting off the assailants who attacked him on Tuesday.

Unknown gunmen travelling on two motorcycles  opened fire at Gen Katumba Wamala’s  UPDF Landcruiser  along the Kisota –Kulambiro Road, Nakawa Division in Kampala District.

Unfortunately, Gen Katumba Wamala’s daughter, Brenda Nantongo and driver, Haruna Kayondo were killed.

The bodyguard, Sargent Khalid Koboyoit, survived unhurt.

In a statement on his social media handles, Gen Katumba Wamala, who is currently admitted at Medipal International Hospital in Kololo heaped praise on his bodyguard for saving his life.

“Allow me to thank my escort, Sgt. Khalid Koboyoit for evacuating me from the crime scene as fast as he did and for shooting back at the terrorists. Things could have been worse,” Gen Katumba said.

The former Chief of Defence Forces in the UPDF also hailed the boda boda rider who rushed him to a nearby health facility for medical attention after sustaining injuries during the attack.

"I would like in a special way to thank the boda boda man who forced me on his boda so that I can go and get first aid. In the same spirit, I would thank Malcolm Healthcare Kisasi for everything they did to stop the bleeding. That first aid helped so much."

Speaking about the incident on Tuesday, President Museveni suggested that Gen Katumba Wamala’s bodyguard should have fired directly at the attackers instead of firing 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,” Museveni said on Tuesday afternoon.

Justice

The president said the assailants he referred to as “pigs” will soon be arrested and made to account for their actions.

“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.”

He added that security has a clue on who the attackers could have been.

In his statement released on Wednesday morning, Gen Katumba Wamala who said he has no clue about the motive of the attackers prayed that they are arrested to answer for their deeds that saw the lives of two innocent souls brought to an end.

“I pray that one day soon, the terrorists that tried to assassinate me and took the lives of my daughter Brenda and driver Haruna will be brought to book,” he said.

He said he had a successful surgery on Tuesday evening where one bullet was removed and waiting for doctors' advice on how to go about the second bullet that affected his arteries.

The former CDF however applauded colleagues and other members of the public for showing him sympathy.

“I want to thank all Ugandans for the love and messages you have been sending my way. I promise to keep fighting for my life.”

Investigations

On Tuesday, the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech said a joint team of security agencies had kicked off investigations into the shooting.

The investigations are being handled by the Police’s Criminal Investigations Division, Criminal Intelligence Division, Flying Squad, Forensics Division and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, the intelligence army of the UPDF.