Bullet survivor: 'I thought a stone had struck me'

By Violet Nabatanzi

Bandaged and writhing in pain in Mulago Hospital, Daniel Okim knows all too well he is lucky to be alive.

He came close to losing his life when a bullet struck just above his chest on the night Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Kirya was killed by gun-wielding assailants in Bweyogerere.

Another bystander was also hit by a bullet – and he too died.

Okim, 26, survived, but was badly hurt by a bullet on his left shoulder, and his voice shakes as he vividly recalls the sudden events of that fateful night.

“At the time of the incident, I had gone to a shop with my friend to buy airtime. After some time I heard the sound of bullets. A man who was standing near my friend fell down and shortly after, my friend also fell down,” he tells New Vision, as a tear of, perhaps, pain trickles down his cheek.

“I also fell down and I thought that someone had hit me with a stone in my shoulder.”

The deadly episode unfolded not far from Okim’s home.
 

The bloodied scene of the Tuesday night shooting. (Credit: Peter Busomoke)

The two assassins on a motorcycle acted swiftly, snuffing out their main target who had been on a chilling hit-list of local Muslim clerics.

It is no wonder Sheikh Kirya had feared for his life – and his fate came to pass in brutal fashion at around 10.35pm local time Tuesday.

His death brought to nine the number of Ugandan Muslim clerics killed since 2012 – all slain in the same way.

Moments after the shots were fired and the gunmen already disappeared into the distant night, locals rushed to the bloody scene and found two people dead. At that time, Okim was unaware that one of them was a Muslim cleric.

“I was then rushed to Gwatiro Health Center for treatment; an X-ray was carried out the health workers at this health facility confirmed that the bullet had struck my shoulder.”

“I was rushed to Mulago for specialized treatment,” said Okim, who by the time of writing this, was awaiting surgery.

Eye witnesses said Sheikh Kirya was shot three times moments after he had crossed the road to buy some groceries on his way back home.

'Come out'

Meanwhile, the Uganda Police on Friday issued 29 photos of some of the suspects in the killing of Muslim clerics across the country.

It warned that more murder cells were suspected to be operating in parts of central and western Uganda and some other suspects were still on the loose.

The Police also urged those who are threatened to seek Police protection.

“Come out, share with us whatever you are going through, we will grant you security,” said Elias Kasirabo, the head of the Very Important Persons Protection (VIPP).

A Police source privy to the investigations, warned that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) cells in Uganda had grown and were responsible for the murders.

 

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