The suspects are now in Police custody
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I They run but could not hide from the long arm of the law, as security forces in Kasese launched a manhunt for a group of unidentified panga-wielding men who attacked Bugoye Police Station in Bugoye Sub-county, Busongora North, in the early hours of yesterday.
The attack, which occurred at about 3am, left one of the suspected attackers dead after he was shot by a police officer during a struggle at the station’s guardroom.
According to Rwenzori East regional police spokesperson ASP Elly Maate, the attackers went directly to the guardroom, where the station Officer-in-Charge, Fauza Balyogera, and another officer identified only as Akampurira were on duty.
One of the assailants reportedly attempted to disarm Akampurira, prompting a physical struggle. The officer responded by shooting the attacker in the leg, apparently intending to immobilise him.
However, the suspect reportedly refused to surrender despite the gunshot wound. He allegedly employed what Maate described as military tactics, rolling and crawling on the ground in an attempt to continue the assault.
Akampurira subsequently fired another shot, this time striking the attacker in the head and killing him.
The death immediately turned the attack into a deadly confrontation, while the fate and whereabouts of the other attackers remained the focus of a wider security operation.
Sniffer dog tracks suspects
After receiving an alert about the attack, security personnel from the regional police and army base rushed to Bugoye Police Station with a sniffer dog.
The joint security team began tracking the fleeing attackers, with the canine eventually leading them to Muramba village, situated in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains.
The search team moved from one home to another before picking up four suspects who were taken into custody to assist with investigations.
Residents who had gathered in the area were later allowed to identify the dead attacker. They reportedly linked him to a family in Maghoma village, although security authorities withheld the family’s name.
The identification could provide investigators with leads as they seek to establish the identity of the group behind the attack, their motive and whether other people were involved.
Security warns of more deaths
Senior security officers used the incident to issue a stern warning to residents against participating in attacks on security installations.
Maate said the persistent attacks on security facilities in the Rwenzori sub-region were forcing security agencies to adopt increasingly tough measures.
“Given this persistent insecurity and attacks in this [Rwenzori sub-region], especially on our security installations, we are being prompted to shoot to kill such attackers,” Maate said.
The warning comes amid concerns about recurring attacks by armed groups in the region and the possibility of further loss of life if communities continue to harbour or support suspected criminals.
Richard Nsengiyumva, the deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Busongora South, warned that people who engage in criminal activities instead of embracing government programmes risk being shot dead or imprisoned if arrested.
Nsengiyumva also rejected suggestions that the Bugoye attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, a militant group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“This is not ADF. These are your own sons, but what is disturbing us is that you seem to know them, but deliberately do not report them,” he said.
Concern over Kasese security
James Katalikawa, the Bugoye Sub-county LC3 chairperson, described the attack as a threat to the socio-economic transformation of the area.
Bugoye is an important route to Mount Rwenzori National Park, one of Uganda’s major tourist destinations. The region also recently hosted an international marathon in August that attracted participants from more than 30 countries from Africa and beyond.
Maj. Moses Mugisha, who is in charge of the army in Kasese District, urged residents to report suspicious activity and any signs of insecurity to local leaders and security personnel.
The latest attack has also revived memories of the coordinated assaults on security installations that shook the Rwenzori sub-region nearly a year ago.
Memories of the November attacks
On November 1, panga-wielding gangs commonly known as “kilhumira muthima” attacked several security installations simultaneously in Kasese, Kabarole, Ntoroko and Bundibugyo districts.
The attackers were reportedly armed with pangas, machetes, catapults and knives and wore newly purchased jackets and gumboots. At least 84 suspects were arrested during and after those attacks.
The attackers were reportedly commanded by a woman identified only as Biira Nyabahasa, also known as “mother of twins.”
The Bugoye incident comes at a sensitive time for the Rwenzori region, which is preparing to mark the coronation anniversary of the Rwenzururu Kingdom on October 19. King Charles Wesley Mumbere’s birthday also falls in October.
About the Author
