Two injured as security raid Sheikh Kamoga's home

Two people were allegedly injured when a joint security team of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT), and Crime Intelligence on Friday raided Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga's home in Tula, Kawempe Division, Kampala.

Kamoga, the head of Jumiat Dawatil Tabligh Al-Salafiya in Nakasero has condemned the raid, stating that it was unnecessary because he is a law-abiding citizen.

The raid took place while Kamoga was attending a burial. According to Siraje Kifampa, the spokesperson of Nakasero Mosque, two individuals were injured during the raid.

Kamoga and Kifampa reiterated that they have always abided by the law, and criticized the security agencies for portraying them as lawbreakers.

“I have often said, and now, I repeat that we are law-abiding citizens. We have no power and we cannot defy when security wants us. We have been brutalized, but we have remained law-abiding citizens and we shall not change,” Kamoga told journalists.

Kifampa revealed that the security agencies believe that Kamoga was indoctrinating young people into acts of terrorism based on allegations made by a mother who claimed that her child was being radicalized by Kamoga.

“Security did not come to crosscheck with the Sheikh about the authenticity of the allegations, but instead chose to break into the premises in his absentia,” Kifampa said.

Col Deo Akiiki, deputy spokesperson for the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), stated that he had not yet received a briefing from the operations team regarding the specific reasons behind the raid on Kamoga's home. 

It remains uncertain whether the police or the army will provide an official explanation for the operation. This is not the first time Kamoga has faced confrontation from security agencies. In 2016, he was arrested and charged with the murder of several Muslim clerics but the police failed to present sufficient evidence to prove his guilt. 

He was later convicted of verbal terrorism and sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence he successfully appealed against.