Uganda’s deep-seated political rot and the ruthless machinations of the regime were laid bare on June 1, 2021, when General Edward Katumba Wamala miraculously escaped an assassination attempt that left his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo, dead. The broad daylight attack, carried out with military precision by motorcycle-riding hitmen, exposed the grim reality that even those who have loyally served the regime are disposable pawns in Museveni’s violent chess game. The chilling assassination attempt was not a random act of crime—it was a calculated political message, wrapped in bloodshed, terror, and the unmistakable signature of a state drenched in impunity.
For decades, Uganda has been a playground for orchestrated assassinations, disappearances, and politically motivated executions, yet the regime always pretends to be “investigating.” Who can forget the gruesome killings of high-profile figures like AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi, MP Ibrahim Abiriga, and Prosecutor Joan Kagezi? Just like them, Katumba Wamala was ambushed in broad daylight by killers who vanished without a trace. The same script, the same unanswered questions, and the same convenient silence from a regime that benefits from keeping Ugandans fearful and uncertain. The cycle is predictable—sham investigations, hollow statements, and zero accountability.
Katumba Wamala, a decorated military officer who once commanded the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), should have been untouchable. But in Museveni’s Uganda, no one is safe—not even those who have shed blood and sweat for the dictator’s survival. His escape from death was nothing short of miraculous, yet the government’s response was laced with the usual hypocrisy. Museveni’s praise for Sergeant Khalid Koboyoit was nothing but a distraction from the real issue—how did trained assassins operate so smoothly in a city flooded with security personnel? Why has the so-called investigation faded into oblivion? Could it be that Katumba Wamala had become an inconvenient liability to the inner circles of power?
The general’s desperate plea for justice rings hollow in a country where justice is a privilege reserved for the powerful. His words may have been spoken in faith, but deep down, he must know that Uganda’s security apparatus is a compromised beast, serving the interests of a few while terrorizing the rest. If Katumba Wamala, a man of power, influence, and military experience, could be reduced to a bloodied survivor of an assassination plot, what hope does an ordinary Ugandan have?
This attack was more than an assassination attempt—it was a reminder that Uganda is a gangster state where survival depends on how useful one remains to the dictator’s grand plan. Katumba Wamala was lucky to escape with his life, but his ordeal exposes the ugly truth: Uganda is a country where the line between government and organized crime has completely vanished.
Discussion about this post