By Patrick Jaramogi

An unsurprising air of unease and fear seized the residents of Naggalama in Mukono along the Gayaza Kalagi highway when a woman tilling her land unearthed a consortium of explosives and an AK47 assault rifle.

The 12.30pm Thursday discovery caused prolonged hours of traffic jam along the busy highway when police, security personnel, a bomb squad and anti-terrorism unit sealed off the road.

Nnalongo Musisi – as she was identified as – was weeding her potatoes when she accidentally hit an AK47 firearm with her hand-hoe.

That immediately sent her panicky, together with other residents around the area.

Police that had arrived at the scene called for bomb detectors.

Upon the arrival of the bomb team, Police had the rowdy onlookers calmed into one corner, some three meters away, as the detonation of the explosives and exhuming of the gun went on.

A corroded machine gun AK47 was recovered and taken by police for further investigations.

The bomb squad also recovered an active stick grenade which they detonated, forcing scores of frightened residents scampering off for ‘safety’.

According to Major Moses Segujja, the Mukono Greater North Intelligence officer, the gun was buried by former defectors of the FEDEMU supporters in 1986 when the ruling NRM party took over power.

“When NRM captured power, many forces where fighting it. I remember around here we had some FEDEMU supporters who gave us headache.

“But with time they all died, leaving the land in the care of Local Council of this area,” Segujja told New Vision at the scene.

He said the land was subsequently sold out to Pioneer Easy Bus who are yet to develop the over 100 acres of land.

“The LCs decided to allow local women from within the area to use the land to grow food. But as this lady dug today, she found these explosives,” he said.

He said the stick grenade was so dangerous and would have caused fatal injuries if it had exploded as the woman dug.