For the first time in open court, Public Service Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala recounted in gripping detail the terrifying assassination attempt on his life five years ago.
He described how gunmen ambushed his vehicle in the Kisaasi-Kulambiro area of Kampala, unleashing a hail of bullets that killed his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo, while leaving him seriously wounded.
Below is an abridged version of his testimony as the 18th State witness. The trial was before the High Court International Crimes Division presided over by four justices.
Ms Marion Benbella (Prosecutor): What is the current position that you hold?
Gen Edward Katumba Wamala: I’m now the Minister for Public Service
Prosecutor: I will take you a step back. What position did you hold in 2021?
Gen Katumba: I was Minister of State for Works before I became a full minister
Prosecutor: Were you based in the country?
Gen Katumba: Yes, my Lord, I was based in the country, and specifically in Kampala.
Prosecutor: I want to take you to June 2021; were you in Kampala?
Gen Katumba: Yes, my Lord. I was in Kampala.
Prosecutor: Do you remember the incidents that happened?
Gen Katumba: Yes, I remember.
Prosecutor: Proceed and tell us what happened.
Gen Katumba: On May 31, I lost my mother-in-law at a place called Najjanakumbi. So early in the morning on the 1st of June, I left my home in Najjera at around 8:25am or 8:30 am. I was heading to Najjanakumbi to arrange the burial of my late mother-in-law. I was travelling in a vehicle, a military land cruiser with one bodyguard, a driver, and my daughter, the late Brenda Nantongo.
Prosecutor: General, did you remember the name of the bodyguard you moved with that day?
Gen Katumba: He was Sgt Khalid Kabayoit, and the driver was Kayondo (Haruna), the late. That bodyguard is now a Lieutenant. On leaving home, we used the Kulambiro Road towards Kisaasi through Kisota Road after crossing the road of Kyanja that leads to Kyanja Town Council. Kisota Road is a narrow road with buildings on both sides. Having driven for a short distance on that road, there are a number of humps, but on the first hump, shots started ringing out.
Prosecutor: What do you mean by shots?
Gen Katumba: Gunshots started ringing out. At first, I had not fully taken in that they were gunshots; I thought a boda boda had crashed into our vehicle, but soon, it dawned on me that these were gunshots coming from behind and on the right-hand side. At that time, my Lord, the shooting was from both behind and on the side. I was seated on the left-hand side of the vehicle with my escort also on the left-hand side. My driver was, of course, on the right-hand side together with my daughter, who was seated behind him. When the shots came in from behind and the side, the first victim who took the shots was my daughter. I heard her shout, ‘Jesus’, and she fell on my lap bleeding. Just after a short distance, the vehicle stopped and leaned on the left-hand side where there was a perimeter wall, and I realised that my driver could no longer move the vehicle. And I saw his head drop. I called on my escort, and I said, ‘Khalid, get that rifle, get out and respond because I could see one of the assailants, hooded, in front of the vehicle, seated with his face facing us, the vehicle.
At that time, I put up my left hand to try to squeeze myself out of the vehicle, and that is when my left hand was shattered. The bullet didn’t go far deep into the right hand. Throughout that time, I never lost consciousness, so I was evacuated to Medipal Hospital. My Lord, at that time, I had already been shot in the left hand, and my bodyguard squeezed out of the vehicle, so I put up my left hand to gain stability and also try to squeeze out of the vehicle, and that is when my left hand was shot and shattered.
Prosecutor: Which part of the left arm was shattered?
Gen Katumba: The shoulder area.
Prosecutor: So, what happened next?
Gen Katumba: I squeezed out of the vehicle, dropped down, and rolled to the rear tyre, and I was also joined by the bodyguard at the rear.
Prosecutor: What happened down there?
Gen Katumba: While we were lying down, we could see underneath that the assailant who was seated on the boda boda was actually trying to come back to the vehicle. I told my bodyguard to continue engaging the assailant, and I think from the awkward position he was in, he could not aim and fire a shot. After a few shots, the assailant, who was trying to come back, actually sped off on the boda boda.
Prosecutor: Which direction did he speed off to?
Gen Katumba: To the direction of Kisota junction towards Bukoto.
My Lord, at that time, my bodyguard said we cannot stay here. He got me on the right-hand side, which was still ok, and moved to the right of the road and away from the scene, and we chanced on an abandoned chicken house. My bodyguard said, ‘you stay here as I go back to the scene to secure whatever was in the car’.