The Inspector General of Uganda Police Abas Byakagaba has visited the scene of the bomb explosion and confirmed that two people who were travelling on a motorcycle were killed and no bystanders were injured.
The IGP said revealed that the joint security team has already secured the scene of the target and other potential targets across the country to ensure that no more collateral damage is caused.
The suspected bomb blast killed two people near the Martyrs Basilica Shrine in Munyonyo in in Uganda’s capital City Kampala near where some crowds gathered to mark Martyrs’ Day, a day honoring Christians executed for their religious faith in the 19th century.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, attention has turned to Islamic State and its local ally, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who had previously claimed responsibility for the 2021 bombings in Kampala that left seven people dead.
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Acting Spokesman Chris Magezi has issued a statement saying that the Counter-terrorism unit had intercepted and “neutralized” two armed suspects in Munyonyo.
The explosion which took place as millions of pilgrims attended players in Namugongo has prompted the security forces to highten access to the area and in Munyonyo that is surrounding the shrine.
“The security services are on heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption,” Army spokesperson Magezi said.
The ADF, originally founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s, has been linked to thousands of civilian deaths in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where it retreated after initial conflict within Ugandan territory.
