Uganda’s Minister of Public Service, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, told the High Court on Monday that he continues to fear for his life more than five years after surviving an assassination attempt that claimed the lives of his daughter and driver.
Appearing before the International Crimes Division of the High Court, Katumba recounted the events of June 1, 2021, when gunmen attacked his vehicle in Kampala, leaving his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo, dead.
The former army commander appeared as the prosecution’s 18th witness in the ongoing trial of six men charged in connection with the attack.
Speaking before a panel of judges led by Justice Winfred Nabisinde, Katumba described the moments when the ambush unfolded, saying his daughter was the first person to be struck by gunfire.
“I heard her shout, ‘Jesus!’ and she fell on my lap,” he told the court.
He said he then realized his driver had also been shot after noticing that the vehicle was no longer under control.
“I saw his head drop, which meant that he had been shot,” Katumba testified.
The minister said he sustained gunshot wounds to both shoulders during the attack and later underwent surgery that involved the insertion of a metallic implant in one of his arms. He told the court that complications from the injury persisted, requiring additional specialized treatment after screws supporting the implant became loose.
Beyond the physical injuries, Katumba said the attack fundamentally changed the way he lives.
“From then until now, I am still scared for life. I am not as outgoing as I was before,” he said.
The six accused, Muhammad Kagugube, Kamada Walusimbi, Suleman Kisambira, Abdulla-Aziz Ramadhan Ddunku, Habib Ramadhan Marajan and Mzee Ssewampa, face charges arising from the attack in which Katumba survived while his daughter and driver were killed.
The case is being heard by a four-member panel comprising Justices Winfred Nabisinde, Vincent Waggona, Richard Wabwire and Susan Akalany.
Defense lawyers maintained that the prosecution has yet to directly connect their clients to the crime scene.
Geoffrey Turyamusiima, a member of the defense team led by Caleb Alaka, argued that none of the witnesses who have testified so far has identified any of the accused as being present during the attack.
“We believe this case is moving well for us, because of all the 18 witnesses presented so far, none has been able to identify our clients as having been seen at the crime scene,” Turyamusiima told the court.
The trial is expected to continue as prosecutors seek to establish the circumstances surrounding one of Uganda’s most high-profile assassination attempts in recent years, while the defense challenges the evidence linking the accused to the attack.
