High Court confirms charges against suspects in Gen Wamala attack
The High Court’s International Crimes Division has confirmed terrorism charges against six suspects in connection with the June 2021 shooting of Gen.Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transportation.
The confirmed charges include: terrorism, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, rendering support to a terrorist organisation, terrorist financing and belonging to a terrorist organization.
The accusations stem from events that occurred on June 1, 2021, between 8am and 9am at Kisaasi Central Zone in Kampala District.
The prosecution contended that during this time frame, the accused persons orchestrated the fatal shooting of Nantongo Brenda, the daughter of Gen. Katumba Wamala, along with his driver, Sgt. Haruna Kayondo. General Edward Katumba Wamala and Mucunguzi Boniface were also injured during the attack.
They were ambushed on Kisota Road in Kisasi by two assailants riding on motorcycles, resulting in the immediate deaths of Brenda and the driver.
Additionally, the accused face charges relating to a prior incident on September 16, 2017, at Denovo Bakery in Kalerwe-Kawempe Division, Kampala District, where two police officers were killed and several others injured during a robbery. According to prosecution, the assailants made off with a substantial sum of money and firearms.
Prosecution adds that on April 27, 2019, at City Shoppers Supermarket in Kanyanya-Mpererwe, Kawempe Division, Kampala District, the same gunmen killed a security guard, injured bystanders, and robbed the cashier and a mobile money operator.
According to the documents before Court, on May 29, 2019, at Cheap General Hardware in Nansana East 1 Zone, Wakiso District, the accused perpetrated another attack resulting in fatalities, injuries, and substantial theft.
The identities of the perpetrators behind the Denovo Bakery, City Shoppers Supermarket, and Cheap General Hardware attacks had remained undisclosed until 2021 when suspects linked to the attempted murder of General Katumba Wamala were apprehended by security forces.
Following a thorough perusal of evidence adduced by the orosecution and submissions by both parties , the Pre-trial Court determined that sufficient grounds exist to support all charges against six accused individuals led by Walusimbi Kamada alias Mudinka, thereby advancing their case to a trial panel for further proceedings.
However, the court found the evidence insufficient to sustain all the charges against Serubula Hussein and Nyanzi Yusuf, leading to their eventual discharge.
