Man Arrested After Homemade Bomb Explodes In His House In Kampala

By Gad Masereka

A man has been arrested by Ugandan security after making an Improvised Explosive Device(IED) that later “accidentally” exploded injuring him in Kampala.

Collins Mugabe, the man, was a Banda zone 2 (Nakawa Division) inhabitant of Kampala.

According to police spokesperson Fred Enanga, “Our teams were alerted by locals after one of the IEDs that Mugabe had manufactured went off when he mistakenly tampered with it.”

He said that when the explosion went off at 9 o’clock at night, security roped off the house, and during the day, a comprehensive search was conducted there, resulting in the seizure of another homemade bomb and other bomb-making supplies.

Nitric acid jerricans, methanol, ethanol, potassium nitrate, multiple wires, notes, and textbooks on bomb-making are among the ingredients that were allegedly discovered in the home.

Enanga stated, “We are questioning him to determine his connection to any terror groups and any potential targets on Ugandans.”

While praising the community for alerting security after the explosion, he also stated that this occurrence serves as a lesson for everyone to be attentive.

This incident demonstrates our determination as security to combat any acts of terrorism against our nation.

The development occurs after the UK High Commission warned its residents that a terrorist attack on Uganda was about to happen.

While the terror alert forbade citizens from going to any public areas or sites frequented by foreigners, it did not specify the locations or timing of the attacks.

A handmade bomb and other materials were found, which is concerning because improvised explosive devices built of locally accessible materials were used in all of the county’s attacks.

It is impossible to tell when someone plans to use these ingredients to create explosives because they are easily accessible to everyone on the Ugandan market.

Since the twin blasts in Kampala at CPS and Parliamentary Avenue in November 2021, Ugandan security forces, including the Police Crime Intelligence Directorate and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, have targeted sleeper cells belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group, which was recently designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

Many alleged ADF members and agents have either been murdered or taken into custody, while multiple guns have been found and the cells have been destroyed.