President Yoweri Museveni has mourned the death of Brenda Wamala Nantongo, daughter to former Chief of Defence Forces, CDF Gen. Katumba Wamala.
The death occurred on Tuesday morning at around 8:45am, when four men riding on two motorcycles, sprayed the General’s car with bullets, killing his daughter and the driver.
Only Gen. Katumba and his escort survived the incident. In a statement reacting to the news of the unfortunate incident, President Museveni said the pigs who do not value life, carried out the attack.
“The pigs who do not value life shot at Gen. Katumba, killed his daughter and driver and injured him. Condolences on the loss of the two Ugandans. I talked to Gen. Katumba twice on phone. He is being well managed” the President said.
He added that government will defeat the criminals as they did in the past, adding that they already have clues to those killers. Besides, Mr. Museveni said, that the new system of digital beacons on all vehicles and Boda Bodas will eliminate the misuse of vehicles and Boda Bodas to commit crimes.
“I wish Gen. Katumba a quick recovery. 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. However, killing one or more of the terrorists would have done the same and more” the President said.
In a related development,
A joint security task team has been set up to investigate a targeted drive by shooting which occurred on the 1/06/2021, at around 8:47am- 8-58am along the Kisota –Kulambiro Road, Nakawa Division in the Kampala District; which claimed the lives of two victims and seriously injured a third, who were part of the occupants in a Toyota Land Cruiser under Reg No.H4DF2138.
Maj Gen Paul Lokech the deputy IGP say that the deceased persons have been identified as Nantogo Brenda, a 26-year-old female adult and daughter of Gen Katumba Wamala and Kayondo Haruna, a male adult and driver. The third victim, Gen Katumba Wamala sustained injuries to the arm and was rushed to Medipal International Hospital where his condition was stabilized. The fourth occupant, a bodyguard identified as SGT Khalid Koboyoit survived with no injuries.
“This is the first major shooting since 2019 and we strongly believe it was a targeted and not random incident. The assailants trailed the motor vehicle as it left the home of Gen Katumba Wamala at Bulabira – Najeera, until when they reached at a remote location 4 Kms away along the Kisota –Kulambiro road. The assailants who were 4 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 Nantogo Brenda and Haruna Kayondo” he said.
The Deputy IGP says that a team of experts from the directorate of CID and Forensic are thoroughly documenting the scene for traces of evidence and that at this stage, they attribute the shooting to 4 armed assailants, who managed to escape from the scene. The exact motivation towards the targeted shooting is not yet established.
“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” Gen. Lokech said.
He appealed for witnesses and anyone with surveillance videos to contact Kira Road Police on 0714667787/0714667789.
