BOMB EXPLOSIONS: Six Dead, 33 Injured and 1 Bomb Recovered in Kampala, Uganda

The fresh footages on CCTV indicate a male adult, putting on a black jacket, and carrying a backpack, detonated himself.

Charles Etukuri

Senior Writer @New Vision

KAMPALA - Security agencies on Tuesday evening confirmed 6 people including 3 suicide attackers had died in the Tuesday deadly twin bomb attacks in Kampala. 

33 people were also injured and are admitted to different hospitals. Police also said they had successfully pursued the fourth suspect and shot and injured him and also recovered a bomb in Nansana.

Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said the country registered two separate deadly suicide attacks, within, Kampala City, on Tuesday November 16, 2021 at 10.03am and 10.06am respectively.

“The first attack occurred near the checkpoint to the Central Police Station (CPS), in Kampala at around 10.03am. 

The fresh footages on CCTV indicate a male adult, putting on a black jacket, and carrying a backpack, detonated himself. 

He died instantly and the spillover effect caused additional injuries to police officers and other civilians who were within a radius of 30 meters. 

Two other people have been confirmed dead, while 17 others sustained very critical injuries. 

Those injured were within the section covering the point of impact and the front desk area at the Central Police Station,” Enanga said.

He noted that another bomb blast occurred within three minutes at Raja Chambers and Jubilee Insurance Building along Parliament Avenue. 

“Two suicide bombers were clearly captured, on motorcycles, disguising as bodaboda riders. They detonated the bombs they were carrying on themselves, that killed them instantly.”

Enanga said both scenes were being cordoned off by the Joint Counter-terror task teams. 

“So far 23 injured victims, 5 critically, have been rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, for further treatment. Our thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Police noted that these attacks come 22 days after the last suicide bomb attack on a Swift Safaris Bus which took place on October 25, 2021. 

“It clearly shows that the ADF linked radicalized groups, still have a desire to carry out lethal attacks, on soft targets, with suicide attackers and improvised explosive devices. 

'These kinds of threats remain significant because IEDs and suicide bomb jackets can easily be built from common household items found in local markets, retail shops and supermarkets.

Many businesses unconsciously sell these items, that are used to sell bombs, which calls for extra vigilance.' 

'We encourage businesses and the public to voluntarily report suspicious activities, such as buying large amounts of chemicals and materials that can be used to build bombs,” Enanga said.

He said security strongly condemn the perpetrators of those senseless and heinous attacks within the city. 

“Although, three suicide bombers, died in the double bomb attacks, our Counter Terrorism response teams managed to pursue a fourth suicide bomb attacker and covered him at Bwaise. 

They shot and injured him, and immediately after, recovered an unexploded improvised explosive device, at Nansana-Katooke, at his home, which the bomb squad were going to neutralize. We are now pursuing other members of the terror groups,” Police said.

Enanga noted that although, the Joint Counter Terror teams and mitigated bomb threats and attacks for the last 22 days, today’s breakthrough attacks show that there was still need to do more, to pre-empt, penetrate and prevent deadly attacks by domestic extremists in the days to come.

“As you are all aware, we have managed to counter several bomb threats, and also neutralized several suspicious packages and device-related incidents across the nation. For now, the bomb threats are still active, and cannot be solved in one go, which calls for the popular intelligence and vigilance of the community,” Enanga added.

He reassured all Ugandans and visitors to the country, that Security continues to pursue all terrorists, their agents, operatives and collaborators, to help prevent the re-emergence of such acts of domestic terror.