BUSHENYI: Isaac Matovu, a 23-year-old, male adult and resident of Kamuli “A” Zone, in Kireka, was among the 52 passengers who boarded Swift Safaris Bus, registration number, UAU989T, from Kisenyi Bus Terminal in Kampala, heading to Ishaka, Bushenyi District.
The bus left Kampala at around 4pm, and made a first stop over at Maya checkpoint. Then it proceeded.
But shortly after a distance less than two kilometers, one of the passengers who is suspected to have been an accomplice asked the conductor to allow him disembark from the bus and go back to Kampala, claiming he was needed to process documents to travel abroad.
The bus stopped and the conductor allowed him to disembark. It was after a distance of 8 to 10kms, at a place identified as LungalaLC1, Maziba Ward Mpigi Town Council, in Mpigi District, that the bomb exploded in the bus.
Matovu died on the spot.
According police, Matovu was on the wanted list by security for being a member of the ADF sleeper cells, as “Muzafalu”.
“This is the first incident of a suicide attack, where the bomber concealed a suicide vest and belt and detonated it on board,” Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, said on Tuesday, 26 October 2021.
Enanga said the joint team of bomb and forensics experts have established that the hallmarks of the attack and the bomb materials recovered, bear a connection with the attack that occurred 3 days ago in Komamboga.
“This suggests that the explosive devices could have been prepared in one place or by the same group of attackers. This, therefore, implies that the attackers are using different strategies of suicide vests and belts, armed assailants on bodabodas or motorcycles, physical bomb attacks, and also targeting soft spots,” he said.
Police said they believe the attackers are part of the sleeper cells in the country, inspired by ADF in close collaboration with the Islamic State.
“From our analysis they are attacking soft targets, which are many and quite difficult to defend. They have plans of targeting civilians at easily accessible locations such as eating sports, public transportation like buses, taxis, places of worship, pedestrian areas, bars operating stealthily and any other crowded areas,” he said.
Enanga assured Ugandans, that despite these acts of terrorism from existing sleeper cells inspired by the ADF, police remain committed to protecting Ugandans and visitors in the country.
“We are using strategies under the national security contingency and response plan, and our decade of experience and capabilities, to counter all perpetrators of terror in our country. We are also tracing for the person who disembarked from the bus, after the Maya checkpoint and will continue to work with our partners across the country, in our commitment to counter and disrupt terrorists, who seek to harm our country,” he said.