Uganda’s army spokesman said unidentified gunmen attacked the transport minister and former defense forces chief, General Edward Katumba Wamala, on Tuesday while he was traveling in an army vehicle with his daughter. The army says he was injured, while his daughter and driver were killed.
The former chief of defense forces, General Edward Katumba Wamala, was leaving his home in an army Land Cruiser when unknown assailants traveling on two motorcycles shot at the vehicle, according to authorities.
Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso, the army spokesperson, spoke to VOA about the incident.
“The assailants riding on boda boda’s [motorcycle taxis] shot at his vehicle. The occupants in his, including daughter and the driver, died on spot. At this point in time, I can’t tell whether it was an attempted assassination. Investigations have already started and we shall be releasing the details as they come in,” she said.
The general, who is mainly referred to as Katumba, is now being treated for his injuries at a hospital cordoned off by the army.
Katumba spoke to two other daughters from his hospital bed.
“I’ve survived. We have lost Brenda; that’s God’s plan. She did nothing to this world. But the bad guys have done it. But God has given me a second chance, I’ll pull through. Don’t worry, I don’t have bad injuries, only the arms, but I’ll be fine. I’m with the doctors and the doctors are doing everything possible,” said Katumba.
This will be the 37th such attack since 2015. The 36 previous ones ended with the deaths of the targeted victims including a police spokesperson, Muslim clerics and a state prosecutor, Joan Kagezi, who was working on an al-Shabab attack-related murder trial. Kagezi was the lead prosecutor in the trial of 13 men accused of the 2010 bombings in Kampala in which 76 people were killed while watching the World Cup.
General Katumba was chief of defense forces from 2013 to 2017. He also became inspector general of police in 2001. Katumba was the first military officer to serve with the police.
Katumba is the outgoing works and transport minister.
