A car carrying Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the outgoing Minister of Works and Transport was on Tuesday morning shot at along Kisota road in Kisaasi.
The incident happened at around 9am.
The assailants, four in number were riding on two black motorcycles before spraying bullets to Gen Katumba’s car who was moving with his daughter Brenda Nantongo Wamala and their driver Haruna Kayondo.
The former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Police Chief survived with bullets in his left arm and chest.
Unfortunately, the daughter and the driver have since been confirmed dead whereas Gen. Katumba was rushed to Medipal International hospital in Kampala for treatment. The doctors managed to remove four bullets from his body and he is currently in a stable condition.
Gen Katumba and his daughter were reportedly heading for the burial ceremony of their close relative in Najjanankumbi along Entebbe road.
In a video making rounds on social media, after the shooting, Gen Katumba whose clothes are sustained in blood ,is seen crying in pain asking to be taken to a medical facility to receive treatment.
“Please take me to the hospital,” the senior army officer cries out as he is being helped by one of his bodyguards.
He was immediately rushed to Malcom health care in Bukoto on a boda boda for first aid before being taken to Medipal International Hospital along John Babiha Avenue in Kampala.
Who is Gen Katumba?
Gen Katumba Wamala was born on 19 November 1956 in Bweeza, Kalangala District, Ssese Islands.
Katumba holds a certificate in agriculture. In 2007, he graduated from Nkumba University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and diplomacy. He also holds a Master’s degree of Science in strategic leadership from the United States Army War College.
He has military qualifications from the following military schools:Uganda Military Academy, Tanzania Military Academy, a military academy in the Soviet Union, Nigerian Command and Staff College, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and United States Army War College.
Katumba was an officer in the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) when the National Resistance Army (NRA) defeated the UNLA in 1986. He transitioned into the NRA without incident.
Between 1999 and 2000, he was a student at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Between 2000 and 2001, at the rank of major general, he commanded the UPDF forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Gen Katumba was appointed Inspector General of Police in 2001, serving in that capacity until 2005. He was then promoted to lieutenant general and given the title of commander of land forces, based at Bombo Military Barracks, making him one of the highest senior officers in the Ugandan military.
In his role as commander of the land forces, he was closely engaged in the peace-keeping mission that the UPDF performs in Somalia, commonly referred to as AMISOM. On 23 May 2013, he was promoted to the rank of four-star general and appointed chief of defence forces before being named state minister for works in 2017.
On 14 December 2019, Katumba was appointed Minister of Works and Transport.
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