By Hanning Mbabazi Gonzaga
Police in Mukono District have Sunday shot dead a man suspected to be one of those who were trailing State Minister for ICT Aidah Nantaba on Sunday morning for suspected assassination.
According to police, Nantaba was driving herself in her official vehicle at around 11:00am in Ggavu Village, Kasawo sub-county along the Kayunga-Mukono road when men riding on boda boda Number UDL 822 A tried to stop her.
Thinking they were her constituents, she stopped but armed masked men emerged from the bush to attack her. But the minister was alert and quickly sped off before reporting the matter to Naggalama Police Station.
Police, in response, launched an operation and intercepted one of the armed men in Nagojje sub-county and shot him dead.
While at Naggalama Police Station, Nantaba declined to speak to the media.
Naggalama Police DPC Grace Nyangoma said the motive of the attack is under investigation.
“It is positive news that we have managed to kill one of the suspected thugs. However, give us more time because we are still carrying out the operation,” Ms Nyangoma said by telephone on Sunday.
However, it is not clear whether the body guard did shoot back fire to the suspected thugs.
The media is reporting that one of the men who were riding a motorbike opened fire at Nantaba’s car, a claim Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said was untrue.
“The car was not shot at,” said Onyango.
However police later clarified that they are hunting for more suspects, according to Mr Owoyesigyire on phone.
Ms Nantaba while still state minister for lands claimed some people wanted to kill her for fighting land grabbers.
The minister later confirmed surviving a botched assassination on Sunday afternoon.
“God is great, I survived death from nasty assailants who opened fire on my car around Nagalama! Am still traumatized but praising God for the survival,” the minister posted on her social media.
Ms.Nantaba was returning to Kampala from Ndeeba village in Kayunga where she had spent the weekend with her Special Forces Command bodyguard when the incident occurred.
It should be remembered that several high profile Ugandans have been killed by men riding on motor cycles.
They include AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi, Maj Mohammed Kiggundu, Col Ibrahim Abiriga, Muhammad Kirumira and prosecutor Joan Kagezi among others.
