Bombings increased significantly at opposition politicians homes, with police investigating 3 explosions which have occurred in less than a week.
In the wee hours of last Thursday morning, a grenade attack was reported in the home of Lubaga South MP Moses Kasibante after police had returned him from detention.
Him and other fellow MPs in the opposition were bundled up by plain clothed operatives in Parliament as they donned red ribbons protesting removal of age limit law last Wednesday.
Two other errant lawmaker- Allan Ssewanyana and Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi in the wee hours of Tuesday morning took their Facebook pages to cry out for help saying grenades had exploded at their houses but no injuries sustained or property destroyed.
To the police commander Kampala Metropolitan, Frank Mwesigwa, this kind of grenade has less harm, less shrapnels but only makes loud noise which has a slight effect.
Kyadondo East, lawmaker Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine’s residence in Magere was attacked and three explosives detonated.
At the same time, his colleague Allan Ssewanyana, in Makindye West also faced same wrath.
The trio (Kasibante, Bobi Wine, Ssewanyana) say the attacks are politically motivated aiming at intimidating more so eliminating them since they are at the vanguard of fighting constitution amendment by their rivals.
New wave of robbery?
This Website understands that on night Hon Kasibante home was attacked, the same assault was launched in Makindye at a house belonging to resident who is a ‘no body’ and neither occupies a big political position.
This lady who asked this website not to be identified, prefers to be called Aidah.
“I had loud noise outside my house, I was terrified and moved out after sometime. I only found my window glass shattered,” Aidah said.
Asked if she reported the incident to police, she said she went to the nearest post, “the officers came but nothing big they did.”
Aidah added that the police officers who handled her case didn’t reveal what kind of weapon/ tool had shattered her house until she saw same shrapnels on television at Kasibante’s premises.
“That is when I learnt it was a grenade thrown at my house,” she said; concluding that this could be a new style criminal gangs are using to rob.
Aidah says gangs are exploiting the political crisis to lay their trap knowing the public will blame government for haunting it’s opponents.
Asked why she didn’t pursue the case, she said she isn t interested because “police lately uses such opportunity to get money from the victim.”
For fearing for her life, Aidah said she has no grudge on anyone and she isn’t sucked into any wrangle or a political conflict she wonders why her life would be at stake.
KMP commander Frank Mwesigwa when reached said that police has not registered any other incident apart from the 3 cases which occured on the politicians’ homes.
He is confident the pattern of these explosions is organized by a criminal gang which is yet to be busted by security.
Mwesigwa further told TrumpetNews that flash bang grenades are factory made thus ruling out the possibility that the notorious gang Kifesi could be behind the making.
Speculation pointed to Kisseka Market a hub of idle veterans who are always force to reckon with during protest in the city.
But Mwesigwa said these grenades can’t be manufactured by a local man.
Security analyst David Pulkol who is a former boss of External Security Organisation (ESO) when contacted that he doesn’t want to speculate but will first interview his contacts in security and also study the pattern of explosions.
“Then I will come up with my opinion,” he said.
Army publicist Brig Richard Karemire said, “I wouldn’t want to speculate.Our security agencies have all competencies and will for sure investigate all this.”
Earlier the executive director Media Centre Ofwono Opondo dismissed the claims by opposition but instead said it could be a tactic to frame government.
While talking to his deputy Shaban Bantariza he weighed in on Opondo’s comments saying the NRM government doesn’t kill it’s opponents.
“Who is Bobi Wine to be killed,” Bantariza said.
Bantariza said flash bang grenades are used by trainers not any security organ.
But one wonders why the explosions are happening at such critical time when Parlaiment is sucked into a stalemate.