KAMPALA, Uganda Minister of Public Service Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala has told the High Court that he continues to live in fear for his life more than five years after surviving the assassination attempt that killed his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo.
The retired army general gave emotional testimony on Monday 3, August 2026 before the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala during the ongoing trial of six men accused of orchestrating the June 1, 2021 attack.
Appearing as the prosecution’s 18th witness, Gen. Katumba recounted the harrowing moments when gunmen ambushed his vehicle along Kisota Road in Kampala, describing how the attack unfolded within seconds.
“I heard her shout, ‘Jesus!'”
The minister told the four-judge panel that his daughter was the first person to be struck by the gunfire.
“I heard her shout, ‘Jesus!’ and she fell on my lap,” Gen. Katumba testified.
Moments later, he realised his driver had also been shot.
“I also realised that my driver was no longer moving the vehicle and I saw his head drop, which meant that he had been shot.”
The attack left Gen. Katumba with gunshot wounds to both shoulders while his daughter and driver died at the scene.
Permanent injuries
The former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) told court that he continues to suffer the physical consequences of the shooting.
He said doctors inserted a metallic implant into one of his arms following the attack, but complications later developed after screws securing the implant became loose, forcing him to seek specialised medical treatment.
The injuries, he said, have left him with lasting pain and physical limitations.
“I am still scared for life”
Beyond the physical injuries, Gen. Katumba said the attempted assassination profoundly changed his life.
The once outgoing public figure told the court that he has become far more cautious and withdrawn since the attack.
“From then until now, I am still scared for life. I am not as outgoing as I was before,” he said.
His testimony offered a rare personal account of the emotional and psychological impact of one of Uganda’s most high-profile assassination attempts in recent years.
Six suspects on trial
The trial is being heard before a panel of four judges comprising Justice Winfred Nabisinde, who is leading the proceedings, alongside Justices Vincent Wagona, Richard Wabwire and Susan Akalany.
The six accused are:
- Muhammad Kagugube
- Kamada Walusimbi
- Suleman Kisambira
- Abdulla-Aziz Ramadhan Ddunku
- Habib Ramadhan Marajan
- Mzee Ssewampa
They face murder and terrorism-related charges arising from the June 1, 2021 attack in which Gen. Katumba survived while his daughter and driver were killed.
The prosecution is led by State Attorney Marion Ben Bella.
Defence challenges prosecution evidence
Despite the minister’s testimony, the defence maintains that prosecutors have failed to directly connect the accused to the attack.
Defence lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima argued that none of the 18 prosecution witnesses who have testified so far has identified any of the accused at the crime scene.
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“We believe this case is moving well for us because, of all the 18 witnesses presented so far, none has been able to identify any of our clients as having been seen at the crime scene,” he told journalists.
Lead defence counsel Caleb Alaka has similarly insisted that the accused are innocent and should not be linked to the assassination attempt without credible evidence placing them at the scene.
A case that shocked Uganda
The June 1, 2021 attack sent shockwaves across Uganda after unknown gunmen riding motorcycles sprayed Gen. Katumba’s vehicle with bullets in what authorities described as a targeted assassination attempt.
The attack claimed the lives of his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and longtime driver Haruna Kayondo, while the minister survived with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators later linked the attack to a wider network accused of carrying out a series of murders and terrorist activities across the country.
The trial continues before the International Crimes Division as prosecutors seek to establish the suspects’ alleged involvement in one of Uganda’s most significant criminal cases in recent years.
