The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has killed another suspected female suicide bomber in Kampala on Sunday morning.
According to the army, the suspect was eliminated in the bustling Kalerwe Market area, located along the Kampala Northern Bypass. A photo shared by the UPDF on social media showed the woman’s body lying beside a black backpack.
“The bomb squad is on the ground carrying out investigations,” the army stated in a brief update.
This development comes just three weeks after another suspected female suicide bomber was neutralised as she attempted to attack Munyonyo Basilica during Uganda’s Martyrs’ Day commemorations.
The acting UPDF spokesperson, Col. Chris Magezi, identified the suspect as Aisha Katushabe, also known by the aliases Byaruhanga Sumayya and Kabonesa.
Katushabe, believed to be in her 20s, was apparently intercepted by security personnel approximately 600 metres from Munyonyo Basilica before the explosive device she was carrying could detonate. She was reportedly linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“She had previously been arrested in 2023 over terrorism-related suspicions but was released due to lack of evidence,” Col. Magezi revealed.
He further disclosed that Katushabe was the wife of the late Muzafar, who was killed in 2021 while attempting to attack mourners at the residence of the late Lt. Gen. Paul Lokech. Her father, Abdul Shakur, was also a known extremist who blew himself up during the 2021 Central Police Station (CPS) bombing in Kampala.