Security operatives recover a gun, 34 rounds of ammunition and arrest five in Kasese

By Hason Mutunzi Bwambale

Security operatives in Kasese District have successfully recovered a firearm suspected to have been used in the recent shooting and killing of the Parish Chairperson for Kyogha in Bwera Sub-County.

SP Ramadan Tai, the Bwera Divisional Police Commander, confirmed the arrest of five male adult suspects in the matter.
“The gun was recovered on the boundary of Mpondwe–Lhubiriha Town Council and Bwera Sub-County, but on the side of Mpondwe–Lhubiriha Town Council, in Kyanzi Village Cell. Yes, we have the suspects and all of them are males. They are in good condition. They will, of course, be charged in courts of law because for a civilian to possess a gun is illegal. We still have a lot to do with them since the operation is still ongoing, and we are progressing well.

My appeal is to whoever still has plans of harming people to surrender or withdraw because our intelligence is very sharp. These we have arrested will lead us to more of their colleagues. We recovered the gun in broad daylight, and that is how we will be working. Justice must be served!”

SP Tai said that from the day the Late Gerald Bwambale was shot dead by unknown gunmen, they have been on an operation, as promised at his burial. He reported that the operation has been successful since they have been moving from one suspect to another, and by the night of Sunday, June 08, 2025, five men had so far been arrested, a gun recovered, and 34 rounds of ammunition seized.

According to him, the suspects led the security agencies to the place where the gun was hidden, and upon reaching there, they realized that the gun had been underground for four or five days.

“This gun is an AK-47 marked with the number of DRC, our neighbor here, where ADF has terrorized for years and is still hiding. We recovered this gun with 34 rounds of ammunition, meaning 34 lives have been saved. Some people were alleging that Police and UPDF are the ones with guns, and indeed the operation has proved them wrong.

We have managed this operation for the last five days as a team, and this calls for cooperation and vigilance; it cannot be Police or UPDF alone—it even involves the community.”

SP Tai noted that the suspects revealed their plan to move the recovered gun to Bundibugyo to execute other deadly missions.
“And by midnight on Monday, June 09, 2025, their plan was to have moved the gun to Bundibugyo. But now all their plans have been foiled by a joint security team of Police and UPDF. However, their motives and targets we cannot tell.”

As a security officer, Lt. Maate Magwara, the Kasese Deputy RDC in charge of Bukonzo County, strongly cautioned opposition political leaders in the district against the act of attributing such heinous acts to the government with the aim of tarnishing its image and that of the security personnel.

“People in Bwera, Kinyamaseke, and the surrounding areas have to be calm since the notorious elements have been arrested and are in police custody awaiting charges. And these politicians, especially from the opposition side, need to be mindful of their statements. Recently, one of them said that government is responsible for these killings using firearms since they are the ones who own them. Really, a leader to utter such a misleading statement in public! If you have no suitable words to use for your campaigns, it’s better you remain silent. In this case, as security, we will call one of them to come and identify these arrested criminals with their force numbers, since they have severally alleged that it’s the security personnel (UPDF and Uganda Police) who are behind the killings.”

On June 03, 2025, the Late Gerald Bwambale, who was the Local Council II Chairperson for Kyogha Parish, was attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen who raided his home at around 3:00 a.m., shooting him instantly. He was rushed to Kagando Hospital by his family members, where he was later pronounced dead. Bwambale was buried on June 05, 2025, at his home in Kyogha Village, Bwera Sub-County.

Brigadier General Cyril Muhindo Mawa, at the burial, assured residents that security personnel would work tooth and nail to ensure the culprits involved in Bwambale’s shooting are arrested and prosecuted. He issued a stern warning to the public against involving themselves in heinous acts like terrorism, adding that such behavior is likely to lead them to life imprisonment.

Sunday Peter Kakule, the Nyakiyumbu Sub-County Chairperson, said the recovery of the gun and the arrest of the suspected thugs has created hope and peace, especially for the business community, the local community, and the security forces—adding that where there is peace, there is development.
“Mpondwe–Lhubiriha, being at the border, can easily be penetrated. The recovered gun and the army uniform are from the neighboring DRC, which means they entered through the porous borders. So, the team at the border has to be extra vigilant to ensure that any more crossings are thoroughly checked. And we, the people in the interior—the community members and local leaders—it is now our role to ensure that security is enhanced through this prevailing political situation. Our fellow leaders had created suspicion among the local members that maybe the gun in question was for Uganda’s security personnel, only to be proved wrong by the marks!”

Gregory Kombi Makotsa, the Bwera Sub-County Chairperson, applauded the security agencies for the successful operation, which he described as a great achievement as Uganda was celebrating Heroes Day.
“SP Ramadan Tai and Afande Karuhanga, the Fifth Battalion Commander at Rusese Barracks, deserve medals for their smart intelligence that has led to the arrest of the wrong elements that have been terrorizing the community.

Security has said this gun was smuggled into Uganda from DRC; what does this mean? It means that we must all be security-conscious to be able to curb insecurity cases. Being at the borderline, we also need to be careful with our porous paths—both security and the local community who are fond of using them. This has clearly proved to us that anything can enter the country at any time and in any form.”

ENDS