“The Pain Of Losing My Daughter & Driver & Seeing My Own Blood Flow, Is A Scar I Carry Every Day.” Gen. Katumba Wamala Opens Up On The Assassination Attempt That Changed His Life Forever
Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has spoken openly about the 2021 attack that nearly took his life. He said it was the most frightening experience he has ever gone through even worse than the battles he fought as a soldier.
During a recent public event, Gen. Katumba shared emotional memories of the day his car was ambushed in Kampala on June 1, 2021. Unknown gunmen suddenly opened fire on his vehicle, spraying it with bullets.
The attack killed two people very close to him—his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo. Their deaths shocked people across the country.
Gen. Katumba, a decorated military leader who has survived wars and dangerous missions, said nothing had ever hurt him like that moment.
“I have faced bullets on battlefields many times, but that day was different. It happened in broad daylight. I watched my daughter and driver die, and I saw my own blood. That pain is with me every single day,” he said, visibly moved.
He also suggested that the attack was not random. According to him, it was a carefully planned attempt to kill him by people who saw him as a threat.
“This was not just a simple act of violence. Someone wanted me dead. It was planned by people who believed my life was standing in their way,” he said, though he didn’t mention any names.
After the attack, police and security forces launched a nationwide search for those responsible. Some suspects were arrested and taken to court. But even now, many people still wonder who truly planned the attack and why.
Gen. Katumba is known as one of Uganda’s most respected military leaders and politicians. Many people look at his survival as a sign of strength and determination.
His story, however, has raised new concerns about the safety of political leaders in Uganda and the growing number of targeted attacks in the country.
