The prosecution has presented its first witness in the case against six individuals accused of attempting to assassinate the minister for Transport and Works, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, and murdering his daughter Brenda Katumba and driver, Haruna Kayondo.
The witness, 30-year-old Nawalu Nakatudde, a former salesperson at Denovo Bakery in Kalerwe and a victim-survivor of a related shooting, testified before a panel of four International Crimes Division judges: lady justice Susan Okalany, Dr Winifred Nabisinde, Wejuli Wabwire, and Vincent Wagona.
Court assessors
Sarah Namayanja, Albert Kasasa, and Judith Muhairwe were sworn in to offer their advisory opinions at the end of the trial, although their views are not binding. Lubega Robert Seguya also took the interpreter’s oath.
Nakatudde, whose current place of residence and employment are concealed for security reasons, recounted events from September 17, 2017, when she was standing in for a colleague on maternity leave at Denovo Bakery’s Kalerwe outlet.
She said she worked until 9:00 pm when the attack occurred. According to her testimony, it was customary for company cashiers, accompanied by two police officers, to collect the day’s earnings around 8:30 pm.
That evening, however, Nakatudde decided to lock herself inside the shop to begin counting the day’s cash. She handed over more than Shs 4 million in coins to a police officer identified as Mubiru shortly before the attack.
While closing the door, Nakatudde was shot in the right hand and thigh by an assailant dressed in black. She attempted to escape through the back, but a burglar-proof gate blocked her.
Injured and fearing for her life, she tied her bleeding hand with a scarf and prepared for the worst. After the shooting subsided, Nakatudde tried to return to the front door but was met with renewed gunfire.
With the help of a cleaner, she managed to secure the shop and contact her relatives. Outside the bakery, she found the police officer Mubiru dead. Nakatudde was later rushed to Mulago hospital by a boda boda rider, where she was treated for bullet wounds and spent three weeks recovering.
In court, she showed her injured hand to the judges, who noted her injuries without requiring further evidence of her thigh wound. She testified about her ongoing trauma, saying she now avoids the Kalerwe area.
At Mulago hospital, she also witnessed the body of Denovo driver Haruna Kayondo, who had succumbed to injuries sustained during the same attack. Additionally, she confirmed seeing the bodies of police officers Mubiru and Kalungi at the bakery.
However, Nakatudde stated that she did not recognize any of the accused individuals in the dock. During cross-examination, defense attorneys Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, and Geoffrey Turyamusiima challenged inconsistencies between her court testimony and her police statement, such as the omission of her thigh injury and the names of deceased officers.
Nakatudde explained that her initial statement was made under severe trauma and physical pain, which affected its completeness. The accused, Muhammad Kagugube, Sirimani Kisambira, Abdullah Aziz Ramadhan, Dunka Kamada Walusimbi, Habib Ramadhan Marjan, and Huzaifah Wampa face multiple charges, including terrorism, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and membership in a terrorist organization.
The case stems from a series of violent incidents, including the June 2021 attempted assassination of Gen Wamala and the murders of his daughter and driver. Prosecutors allege the accused were involved in multiple murders, robberies, and acts of terrorism in Kampala, Wakiso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Evidence presented so far includes weapons, ammunition, and other materials allegedly recovered from the accused’s residences, linking them to the crimes. The trial continues, with the second prosecution witness expected to testify after a brief recess.