Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Mr. Ronald Kayizzi, made a significant decision regarding the case of the Kampala bombings that occurred in June 2021. Six men who were apprehended following the bombings have now been officially committed to the International Crimes Division of the High Court to stand trial for charges of murder and terrorism. This decision follows their one and a half years spent in remand awaiting trial.
The six suspects, identified as Kyeune Isma, Walusimbi Musa, Mubiru Musa, Kabanda Musa, Mwebe Muhammad, and Kabong Umar Ajobe, are accused of involvement in terrorism financing and professing allegiance to a terrorist organization.
The arrest of these individuals came in May 2022 after the government received intelligence indicating the involvement of several individuals in terrorist activities, primarily in Central and Eastern Uganda, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Allegations suggest that these suspects confessed to providing financial and recruitment support to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a notorious rebel group operating in the region.
According to the indictment, one of the suspects, Kyeyune, received training in Jihadism, Islamic doctrines, martial arts, firearms usage, and improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturing from his co-suspect, Musa Kabanda alias Musomesa. Kyeyune allegedly pledged allegiance to Islam and the ADF after this training. Court documents reveal that Kyeyune and another recruit, Mwebe Muhammad, were provided with firearms and ammunition to carry out robberies to fund ADF activities.
Further revelations suggest that Kabanda Musa, also known as Musomesa, was previously involved in activities related to the 2010 Kampala bombings case. He confessed to participating in recruitments and providing support, including food and finances, to the families of trainees. Kabong Umar, another suspect, admitted to his involvement with the ADF and even enlisted his two young sons into the group.
The prosecution intends to present evidence spanning from 2007 to 2020, implicating the suspects and others still at large in Central, Eastern Uganda, and the DRC. This evidence includes financial transactions, recruitment activities, and training sessions aimed at supporting ADF terrorism.
Telephone data records, confession statements, ballistic reports, and recovered weapons and explosives will serve as critical pieces of evidence in the upcoming trial. The state alleges that the suspects were involved in coordinated criminal activities, knowingly supporting terrorism through their actions.
The trial proceedings in the High Court are expected to shed further light on the extent of involvement of these individuals in the Kampala bombings and their connections to the ADF terrorist organization.
