KAMPALA –A team of joint security personnel from the Uganda army – UPDF and Police, on Saturday mounted a manhunt – leading to the killing of an alleged deserter- Pte. Rodgers Alibuza, who reportedly attacked and stole two guns from Gaddafi barracks. It is said that the same Alibuza was the killer of Sgt. Peter Eyagu on November 17, 2022.
The operation, which lasted several hours, partly paralyzed business in western part of Iganga municipality but the team succeeded in recovering two guns at a cost a cost of three injured soldiers.
The two recovered fire weapons were identified as property of the Uganda army with serial numbers No. UG UPDF 56595903627 and No. UG UPDF 4814241, URN quoted army sources as confirming.
Alibuza is RA/225972, was surrounded at his rented house in Nkaatu cell in the Northern division of Iganga. He reportedly declined to surrender and instead shot and injured Pte. Medard Omadi, Pte. Erisa Kule and Pte. Julius Mulongo.
Diana Nandawula – the Busoga East Police Spokesperson said exhibits including an army pouch containing three magazines loaded with 88 rounds of live ammunition, new army trouser, 14 cartridges and another empty magazine were recovered from Alibuza’s house.
In a related development, the Police Force is worried that unknown thugs have turned it a tradition, in the recent past to attack and grab weapons from different security personnel, across the country.
The latest attack and gun-grabbing happened last week when on the night of November 21, unknown thugs hacked a GKO (private) security guard manning an installation in Magere Cell – Kasangati town at around 7:30 pm.
According to Luke Owoyesigyire – the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson, the guard was attacked as he walked alone.
Owoyesigyire revealed that Security agencies were yet to recover 13 guns taken from slain police officers; private security guards; and soldiers since July – confirming that two more guns were taken on Wednesday night from a police unit at Bungokho in the Elgon Region – some 250km – East of the capital Kampala.
Security mounted a manhunt for attackers when a suspected pair of men armed with machetes attacked police officers at a road checkpoint in the Luweero district – in an incident that left a constable – Ronald Busingye dead as his colleague PC Josephat Twinamatsiko survived with serious wounds.
Busingye and Twinamatsiko’s weapons were taken and have not been recovered. Ever since the Luweero incident happened, four private security guards have been killed in Kampala and their guns were taken, while two more police officers and a soldier have also been killed their guns taken.
“The guard was attacked while heading to his beat and cut by unidentified assailants at about 7:30 pm in Magere cell, Kasangati and his gun taken,” URN quotes Owoyesigyire as saying.
“Our team responded and took him to Mulago hospital for treatment while the search for the gun has commenced,” he added.
The attack on the GKO security guard happened three days after a Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF soldier Sgt. Simon Peter Eyagu was strangled and shot three times. The attackers took Eyagu’s gun in adition to that of his colleague Cpl. Norico Kibirige who had gone to buy drinks at the time the incident happened.
Three weeks earlier, seven armed thugs raided Busiika Police station at 8:00pm – killing two police officers – Alex Wagaluka and Moses Ongol. The attackers took the deceased’s weapons and security sources claim that one of the guns that was robbed at a checkpoint in Luweero was used in the Busiika incident.
Away from soldiers and police officers, four private security guards have been killed, and their guns were taken. These are Samuel Muhindo killed on September 24 in Kawempe; Nathan Omuroni on September at Kabuusu supermarket; Asuman Mutegula on September 4 at Iganga; and James Amuriat who was met his death August 24 at Nesta Fuel station.
Uganda Police Force – Spokesperson – Fred Enanga said security agencies were jointly investigating the attacks but was cagey in revealing details of their operations.
Charles Rwomushana – a former spy chief turned analyst, said the country was at war and attackers were gaining confidence after every day that goes without their arrest.
“These people are attacking security installations,” URN quotes Rwomushana, “attacking security installations is war. They are very strategic and I want to tell you they are not doing it for a joke. The attacks are going to escalate.”
Uganda Prisons Service -UPS, according to Spokesperson – Frank Baine had received orders from the Commissioner General, Dr Johnson Byabasaija to avoid lone deployments.
As the attacks seem to escalate, two police posts in Kampala have survived assaults from unknown armed thugs, this month alone. Last week, police officers at Kensington police post at Kyanja, Nakawa division, survived when thugs on a motorcycle fired bullets towards their direction. While on Wednesday morning, police at Nakulabye repulsed suspected attackers who reportedly abandoned an Ak47 magazine.
Owoyesigyire said the Nakulabye incident was foiled by one police officer who was on duty. “The officer immediately discharged bullets towards the alleged attacker forcing him to flee, abandoning an AK47 Magazine with 5 rounds of ammunition,” said Owoyesigyire.
Over 57,000 police, prisons, ISO, and private guards’ rifles have been electronically registered. But UPDF and its agencies declined to register their weapons with the police, preferring to do it internally.
*Some information contained in this article was originally published by URN
