Three prosecution witnesses have given harrowing accounts of the 2019 shooting at Cheap Hardware in Nansana, Wakiso District, during the ongoing trial of six suspects accused of terrorism, murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery.
The witnesses, whose identities were withheld for security reasons, appeared before the International Crimes Division of the High Court to describe how armed attackers stormed the hardware store on May 29, 2019, opening fire and leaving several people injured and three dead.
The suspects- Mohammad Kagugube, Kamada Walusimbi alias Mudinka, Silman Kisambira, Habib Ramathan Marjan, Muzaifa Wampa alias Kanaaba, and Abdul Aziz Ramathan Dunku are charged with multiple offences including belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group, terrorism financing, and robbery.
The group is also accused of attempting to assassinate Works Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala in 2021.
The thirteenth prosecution witness told court that he had been working as a storekeeper at Cheap Hardware when the shooting began.
‘On May 29, 2019 at around 2:00 pm we were attacked by men I did not see,’ he said, explaining that he had been walking through the corridor when he heard gunshots.
‘I turned back running where I was coming from together with the askari. The bullet hit my left shoulder,’ he added.
He said the gunshots came from the front of the hardware shop, but he never saw the attackers because he was fleeing.
He managed to reach a nearby shop where a friend helped him board a motorcycle to Sebbi Hospital for first aid before he was transferred to Nakasero Hospital.
He remained at Nakasero Hospital for two days and later received further treatment at Mulago Hospital.
Asked by trial judge Justice Susan Okalany what happened after he was admitted at Nakasero, the witness responded: ‘I did not know what happened thereafter at Cheap Hardware.’
He also confirmed that doctors removed two bullets from his body.
The defence team, led by lawyers Caleb Alaka and Evans Ochieng, did not cross-examine the witness.
The fourteenth prosecution witness, a former employee of Spartasce Security Company, told court he had gone to deliver food to the guards stationed at the premises when the shooting started.
He said he heard gunshots as he was arranging food containers near the front of the building. Turning around, he saw two people wearing black face masks holding guns.
‘One of them shot at my right hand,’ he said. To escape, he fell underneath a parked truck and began crawling for safety.
‘As I was still crawling, they shot another bullet which hit the truck bouncing to my left leg,’ he recalled.
He said the attackers spent about ten minutes shooting and kept shouting ‘Lay down, lay down’ in Swahili. He saw their boda-like motorcycles but could not see their faces.
When the shooting stopped, he emerged from under the truck and saw several injured people. Police later arrived and took him and others to Mulago Hospital. His injuries were treated and he was discharged the same day. He told court that the trauma from the attack forced him to leave his job.
During cross-examination, lawyer Alaka asked whether he had seen the gunmen. The witness responded: ‘I did not see the gunmen because I was preparing my containers.’
Asked what he saw while under the truck, he said: ‘I saw legs.’
The fifteenth prosecution witness, a 56-year-old real estate dealer, said he had gone to buy cement when the gunfire erupted.
He told court he parked his vehicle opposite the hardware, entered with Shs400,000, and began counting money at the counter.
‘I heard a blast. At first I thought it was a car tyre but when I heard other explosions, I realized it was gunshots,’ he said.
He told court that the cashier fell to the ground and he dropped to the floor as well. As the explosions continued, he overheard the assistant manager asking for keys to the ‘safe’.
‘I heard Jimmy saying the keys were with the manager,’ the witness told court.
He covered his ears but then felt something burning near his lower body.
‘I heard a voice saying that ‘I have been telling you to leave this place when you are not listening,” he testified. The cashier crawled toward the store, and he followed.
According to prosecution, the attack at Cheap Hardware left Jimmy Atukuru, Frank Abaho Mutinda and Amin Bugembe dead.
The assailants allegedly stole Shs38 million from a cashier, used motorcycles to flee the scene, and continued to fire indiscriminately.
The same group is accused of carrying out several other robberies and killings in Kampala and surrounding districts between 2015 and 2021, including the fatal attack on City Shoppers supermarket in Kanyanya and multiple cash robberies.
The group appeared before a panel led by Dr Winfred Nibisinde. Other justices on the panel are Richard Wejuli, Okalany and Vicent Wagona.
The hearing continues November 25.