Former Works and Transport Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala has emotionally narrated the painful moments when gunmen attacked his vehicle in 2021, revealing that the final word he heard from his daughter, Dr. Brenda Nantongo Wamala, before she was killed was “Jesus.”
Testifying before the International Crimes Division of the High Court, Katumba gave a detailed account of the June 1, 2021 assassination attempt along Kisota Road in Kampala, where his daughter Brenda and driver Sgt. Haruna Kayondo lost their lives.
Katumba told the court that the incident remains one of the darkest moments of his life, explaining how he watched helplessly as his daughter was struck by bullets while sitting inside the vehicle during the deadly ambush.
He explained that on the morning of the attack, he left his home in Najjera, Wakiso District, at around 8:30am heading to Najjanankumbi to make burial arrangements for his late mother-in-law.
According to Katumba, the journey initially appeared normal, and there was nothing to suggest that he and his team were about to face a deadly attack. He said they briefly stopped to buy newspapers before proceeding towards Kisota Road.
“We stopped by a newspaper and then we joined Kisota Road. We drove for a very short time, I think less than 10 minutes,” Katumba told the court.
The former army commander said the first sounds of the attack confused him because he did not immediately realise that they were under attack. He initially thought the noise could have been caused by an accident involving a motorcycle.
“At first I had not fully taken in that they were gunshots. I thought maybe a boda boda had crushed into a car, but soon it dawned on me that these were gunshots coming in from behind and on the right-hand side of the vehicle,” he narrated.
Katumba told the judges that he was seated at the rear left side of the vehicle with his bodyguard, while his driver Sgt. Haruna Kayondo was behind the steering wheel and his daughter Brenda sat behind the driver.
He said his daughter was the first person to be hit by the attackers’ bullets, and the memory of what happened next has remained deeply painful.
“The first victim who took the shots was my daughter. And I heard her shout, ‘Jesus!’ And she fell on my lap,” Katumba emotionally told court.
He explained that after Brenda was shot, the vehicle continued moving briefly before coming to a stop because the driver had also been fatally injured and could no longer control the car.
“I realised that my driver no longer moved the vehicle and I saw his head drop,” Katumba said while describing the terrifying moments.
Despite suffering injuries himself, Katumba said he tried to respond to the attackers and instructed his bodyguard to take action after noticing one of the assailants ahead of the vehicle.
“I instructed my bodyguard to pick the rifle and try to engage the assailant,” he testified.
Katumba revealed that he was shot in his right arm and later suffered another serious injury when a bullet shattered his left hand as he tried to escape from the vehicle.
“That’s when my left hand was also shot and before I knew it, the hand was fully shattered,” he told court.
He said he and his bodyguard later moved behind the vehicle for protection as the exchange of gunfire continued. From there, they saw one of the attackers attempting to return before eventually escaping on a motorcycle.
After the shooting stopped, Katumba said his bodyguard helped him move to an abandoned chicken house where they tried to find safety as he continued losing blood from his injuries.
He explained that he later returned closer to the scene because he feared losing consciousness due to heavy bleeding. By then, members of the public, including boda boda riders, had gathered and offered to help him get medical attention.
Katumba said he initially hesitated to accept help because he was uncertain who could be trusted following the attack. However, one boda boda rider convinced him that he genuinely wanted to save his life.
“I hesitated because sitting on a boda boda, I was not sure whether these boda bodas meant well,” he said.
The former minister was eventually taken to Malcolm Clinic for emergency treatment before being transferred to Medipal International Hospital, where doctors worked on his injuries.
Katumba told court that despite the seriousness of his condition, he never lost consciousness throughout the ordeal and remained aware of what was happening around him.
“Throughout that time, I never lost consciousness. I was very conscious,” he testified.
Doctors later removed a bullet lodged in his right shoulder and operated on his damaged left arm. Due to the seriousness of his injuries, Katumba later travelled to Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States for specialised treatment.
He told court that although the treatment helped him survive, he still lives with permanent effects from the attack, especially limited movement in his left arm.
“I think I can use it about 60 percent. There are things I can’t do with the left arm because of the limited mobility,” Katumba said.
Reflecting on the impact of the attack, Katumba said the incident changed his lifestyle, making him more cautious and less outgoing than he was before the tragedy.
“The incident of that day changed a lot of my way of life. From then until now, of course, I’m scared for life. I’m protective. I’m not so outgoing again as I was before,” he told court.
Despite the trauma and loss of his daughter, Katumba said the attack did not make him lose faith in people, insisting that while some individuals commit crimes, the majority of Ugandans remain good.
“I still love people because there are a few bad people, but the majority of people are good people,” he said.
The testimony was given during the trial of Muhammed Kagugube, Kamada Walusimbi, Silman Kisambira, Abdulaziz Ramathan Dunku, Habib Ramathan Marjan and Muzaifa Wampa, who are accused in connection with the attempted assassination of Gen. Katumba Wamala and the killings of Dr. Brenda Nantongo Wamala and Sgt. Haruna Kayondo.
The case is being heard before a panel of judges from the International Crimes Division of the High Court, including Dr. Winfred Nabisinde, Susan Okalany, Richard Wejuli Wabwire and Vincent Wagona.
