Uganda’s year of gun violence, ADF attacks

Gruesome acts of gun violence and attacks by suspected Allied Democratic Force (ADF) rebels dominated security incidents last year. 

In May, al-Shabaab militants overrun a Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) base at Buulo-Mareer in Somalia on May 26 at around 5 am leaving over 54 soldiers dead – the majority burnt beyond recognition. President Yoweri Museveni confirmed the death of the 54 soldiers, 10 days after al-Shabaab claimed that they had killed over 120 Ugandan soldiers and taken many as captives.

Museveni squarely blamed the commanders; Maj Steven Oluka and Zadock Abor for their ‘cowardly’ retreat orders which he said exposed their colleagues including the base commander Lt Col Edward Nyororo who died in the attack.

The army court has since charged, convicted, and disgracefully dismissed Oluka and Abor from the force. Being disgracefully dismissed means they left the force with zero ranks and no financial package despite having served for over 20 years in the force.

40 Lhubiriha students massacred

On June 16, Uganda received devastating news from Mpondwe town in Kasese district near the Uganda-DRC border where five men linked to ADF ransacked Lhubiriha secondary school, cut, shot and burnt to death 40 students as well five other civilians.

Ugandans questioned the effectiveness of intelligence forces since the incident came four days after the US had warned about a possible terror attack. However, security agencies including the commander of the UPDF forces in DRC under Operation Shujaa. Maj Gen Dick Olum blamed the locals who allegedly collaborate with terrorists.

Lhubiriha secondary school is now a shadow of its former self as it is now encircled by the bush. However, no conclusive report has been released on who were the actual five men who killed the students and kidnapped others. Other than the Lhubiriha attack, ADF-linked groups also killed two foreign tourists; David Barlow and Celia Geyer alongside their Ugandan driver Eric inside Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The rebels also burnt two traders to death inside their Fuso truck at Bwera and less than a fortnight ago, they killed 13 people in Kamwenge. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martins Okoth Ochola has listed ADF atrocities among those that were the most challenging security in 2023.

Ochola applauded the Crime Intelligence, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), UPDF, Special Forces Command, Joint Intelligence Committee, Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce, ISO, and ESO for working tooth and nail to quash criminal elements.

“Our success has been due to the hard work of the police in coordination with sister security agencies, the reorganization of CID, improved detection and investigation, a robust crime intelligence directorate, that has built a proactive network of credible informants and strategic partnerships with the community,” Ochola said.

Minister Charles Okello Engola murder

Engola, who was the state minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development was gunned down on May 2 at his Kyanja residence by his own bodyguard Pte Wilson Sabiiti after accusing him of delaying paying his emoluments. It was later established that Sabiiti had just started working with the minister and he had been paid his monthly salary by UPDF six days before the incident.

Investigations revealed that Sabiiti had two running loans and he hardly used his salary and was only surviving on allowances. Even his children had since stopped going to school because of financial woes. Psychologist Edward Bantu, who has done a mental assessment on men in uniform especially police officers said the working and living conditions accompanied by financial woes are capable of turning them into monsters.

Bantu said security personnel like any civilian require continuous assessment of the person’s emotional aspect and also regularly engaging them to understand their challenges. Five days after Engola’s death, infamous vlogger Ibrahim Tusuubira popularly known as Isma Olaxes and Jjajja Ichuli was shot dead as he was returning to his home in Kyanja. Before his shooting, Isma had posted a video celebrating and thanking Sabiiti for killing the minister because government officials like exploiting subordinates. The police are yet to arrest those behind his killing.

Other security and crime incidents that were prominent is the shooting to death of an Indian money lender, Uttam Bhandari. He was killed by police constable, Ivan Wabwire in May at Raja Chambers along Parliament Avenue. Wabwire accused the deceased of making him pay a loan for a very long period. The police officer was arrested while attempting to sneak into Kenya.

Police and the military were also puzzled by gangs attacking schools, killing guards, and beating up directors as well as priests at Nswanjjere Minor Seminary. Flying Squad arrested four members of the gang including Yusuf Babu the alleged ringleader, Emma Ssetenda, Paul Mayengo Musinguzi aka Mulefu, and Regan Mawejje. 

The group admitted to having participated in the attack and robberies at UMEA primary school in Kyebando–Nansana, Bodoko primary school at Kayunga in Wakiso, and Kyadondo Islamic secondary school, Matugga. In one of their attacks at Kyadondo Ismalic secondary school on February 9, they killed a private security guard Solomon Mujumbi and critically injured John Asingya. They also varnished with Shs 111 million.

“To a great extent, we reduced gun-related crimes and the proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition, terrorism, gang and marine crimes, housebreaking, burglaries, acid attacks, motor vehicle thefts, cattle raids within Karamoja and the neighboring districts, and many other traditional crimes,” police boss Ochola said.

Motorcycle robbery gangs targeting mostly foreigners carrying huge sums of money, and Northern Bypass criminals hitting drivers, riders, and pedestrians with pavers, bricks, and metals are also among the major crime incidents that shaped 2023.

In December, Paddy Sserunjogi aka Sobi was hacked to death in Gomba where he had been hired to evict residents off their land. Sobi appeared in the media and claimed that 90 per cent of people killed in Kampala and neighbouring areas were killed by him or members of his gang.