UPDF Colonel shot in city
May 27, 2008
ARMED thugs on Monday night shot and injured an army officer in Rubaga, a Kampala suburb, before robbing him of his vehicle.
By Steven Candia And Patrick Jaramogi
ARMED thugs on Monday night shot and injured an army officer in Rubaga, a Kampala suburb, before robbing him of his vehicle.
The officer, Lt. Col. Adolf Sserwada, the director of administration at the UPDF headquarters in Bombo, was rushed to Rubaga Hospital in critical condition and admitted to the surgical ward.
The Police yesterday said the robbery was executed by three gangsters, armed with an SMG rifle. They ambushed the soldier as he slowed down towards a hump, according to Police spokesman Simeo Nsubuga.
“The thugs stopped him and thereafter a scuffle ensued. That is when they shot him in the left leg and in the knee.â€
After wresting control of the vehicle, the attackers sprayed bullets in the air before speeding off, he added. The place of the attack, on Kalema Road, is notorious for car-jacking, the Police noted.
“Several attacks have been reported at that spot. It is rather dark and bushy,†said Old Kampala CID director Grace Akullo.
The vehicle was recovered yesterday morning. It had been vandalised and abandoned in Kiyaye zone in Nakulabye, with vital parts missing. By press time, no arrests had been made.
“Investigations are going on,†Nsubuga said, adding that detectives recovered spent cartridges at the scene which will provide useful clues.
UPDF spokesman Maj. Paddy Ankunda described the attack as unfortunate. “I talked to him a few minutes ago and he told me he was stable,†he said.
Asked whether the attackers took Sserwadda’s gun, Ankunda said: “I can’t speculate at the moment. We shall know once he has recovered.â€
Dozens of armed robberies have been reported in Kampala in recent weeks. The suburbs of Ntinda, Kiwatule, Najeera, Kulambiro, Kireka and Kisaasi have been particularly affected.
According to the Police, the thugs move in groups of two and three and usually attack people in front of their gates. In some cases, women have been raped, the most notorious being that of a doctor who was gang-raped in Wakiso.
In other instances, the thugs shoot their victims. Local basketball star Wilbrod Oketcho was fired at by armed robbers in Najeera on March 12, and later died of his wounds.
The Police have heightened deployment in the affected areas and stepped up both motorised and foot patrols.
So far, 200 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent wave of crime. Some, it appeared, had been arrested six years ago under Operation Wembley, an anti-crime crack unit, but had been released after serving their sentence.
ARMED thugs on Monday night shot and injured an army officer in Rubaga, a Kampala suburb, before robbing him of his vehicle.
The officer, Lt. Col. Adolf Sserwada, the director of administration at the UPDF headquarters in Bombo, was rushed to Rubaga Hospital in critical condition and admitted to the surgical ward.
The Police yesterday said the robbery was executed by three gangsters, armed with an SMG rifle. They ambushed the soldier as he slowed down towards a hump, according to Police spokesman Simeo Nsubuga.
“The thugs stopped him and thereafter a scuffle ensued. That is when they shot him in the left leg and in the knee.â€
After wresting control of the vehicle, the attackers sprayed bullets in the air before speeding off, he added. The place of the attack, on Kalema Road, is notorious for car-jacking, the Police noted.
“Several attacks have been reported at that spot. It is rather dark and bushy,†said Old Kampala CID director Grace Akullo.
The vehicle was recovered yesterday morning. It had been vandalised and abandoned in Kiyaye zone in Nakulabye, with vital parts missing. By press time, no arrests had been made.
“Investigations are going on,†Nsubuga said, adding that detectives recovered spent cartridges at the scene which will provide useful clues.
UPDF spokesman Maj. Paddy Ankunda described the attack as unfortunate. “I talked to him a few minutes ago and he told me he was stable,†he said.
Asked whether the attackers took Sserwadda’s gun, Ankunda said: “I can’t speculate at the moment. We shall know once he has recovered.â€
Dozens of armed robberies have been reported in Kampala in recent weeks. The suburbs of Ntinda, Kiwatule, Najeera, Kulambiro, Kireka and Kisaasi have been particularly affected.
According to the Police, the thugs move in groups of two and three and usually attack people in front of their gates. In some cases, women have been raped, the most notorious being that of a doctor who was gang-raped in Wakiso.
In other instances, the thugs shoot their victims. Local basketball star Wilbrod Oketcho was fired at by armed robbers in Najeera on March 12, and later died of his wounds.
The Police have heightened deployment in the affected areas and stepped up both motorised and foot patrols.
So far, 200 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent wave of crime. Some, it appeared, had been arrested six years ago under Operation Wembley, an anti-crime crack unit, but had been released after serving their sentence.