Minister Kabyanga advises planners of Rwenzori attacks to surrender

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BUNDIBUGYO - The Ugandan government has asked persons behind the recent attacks in the Rwenzori region to surrender immediately or face a full-scale security crackdown.

The Minister of State for Information and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabyanga, on Friday, November 7, 2025, said that the government would not tolerate continued acts of violence that have disrupted peace and claimed lives in the mountainous region.

“Those responsible for these attacks have two choices: surrender peacefully and face the law, or be hunted down by our forces. There is no hiding place for criminals who want to destabilise our country," he declared while speaking to Bundibugyo Local Council leaders who gathered at Kawamala Memorial grounds in Boma. Participants included: security heads in the district, sub-county leaders, and LC1 chairpersons from across the district.



On November 1, the Rwenzori region woke up to news about attacks in Fort Portal North division where armed men attacked Ibonde village in Fort Portal North division. According to witnesses, about 50 gunmen who were also armed with pangas descended on Ibonde II, Canon Apollo and Nyakasura Villages, located a few kilometres from Fort Portal City, at around 6am.

Similar incidents also took place in Kasese and in Bundibugyo, where the armed gangs attacked a police station and two army detachments.

The attacks, which targeted police and military installations across Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Fort Portal City, left the communities in panic, with several leaders calling for heightened security. The raiders, according to security, were neutralised. The army reported that 41 of the attackers were confirmed dead and 90 arrested.

“We have all their names and where they have been living, we have their phone numbers,” Kabyanga said. We shall also use technical intelligence to track them down,” he added, making reference to the planners of the attacks. 

Kabbyanga also attributed the attacks partly to widespread ignorance and illiteracy, stressing that the perpetrators appeared to lack a basic understanding of the law, societal norms and the consequences of violence. He argued that ignorance and illiteracy remain the fertile ground on which such senseless attacks grow.  

“When young people are blindfolded by superstition, manipulated by wrong elements, and lack access to correct information or education, they become vulnerable and may be led into acts that destroy their own future,” Kabbyanga said.

Vigilance

Participants at the meeting called for strengthened community vigilance by promptly reporting suspicious individuals and criminal activity to security agencies.

Jane Alisemra Babiiha, the Commissioner of the NRM Electoral Commission, asked the LC1s to be vigilant and report all wrong elements. “They know their communities better than anyone else, so when they notice strangers or suspicious gatherings, they should immediately alert the authorities,” she added.

The meeting also called for strengthened intelligence networks. Alisemera emphasised that community vigilance and timely information flow between residents and security organs remain key in preventing further incidents.

Rtd. Maj. Jones Mugabirwe, the Bundibugyo District Resident Commissioner, reiterated the government’s commitment to working closely with local councils and residents to maintain peace.

He challenged the LC1s to act as a bridge between the population and security agencies, stressing that every report, however small, could help avert larger threats.

“RDC has not failed his work; when he fails, it means we have all failed. Where did these attackers pass? Whose sons are they?” Mugabirwe asked. Once you have answers to all those questions, we shall have defeated the problem,” he added.