How Cardinal Wamala escaped a terrorist

Mar 16, 2020

He had earlier taken archbishop Emmanuel Wamala hostage for two days; but the clergy asked Bingo to allow him to go to the washroom and escaped from the terrorist.

TERRORISM

Said Bingomu alias Semanza Ndikiyizi aka Bingo was the first and only recorded Ugandan terrorist to blow up himself.

On February 3, 1992, Bingo detonated himself inside the Catholic archbishop's house at Lubaga Hill in Kampala.

He had earlier taken archbishop Emmanuel Wamala hostage for two days; but the clergy asked Bingo to allow him to go to the washroom and escaped from the terrorist. Bingo blew up himself when he realized that he had been cornered by the Special Forces.

Security agents disguised nuns and priests had besieged the premises. When Bingo came running after the archbishop, he was shot at him but missed.

For 21 hours, Cardinal Wamala studied the behaviour of his captor as he planned his escape. The following morning, at about 10:00am, an opportunity presented itself.

Bingo had gone to the washrooms next to Wamala's office to ease himself when the archbishop sneaked out through the door that his captor had locked, but left the key on the door.

Rev Fr Joseph Mukasa Nkeera, than information secretary for Kampala Archdiocese, told journalists that Lt Bingo attempted to run after the archbishop, but was stopped by a volley of bullets fired at him by security personnel dressed liked priests who had surrounded the building. Six bullet holes were showed to the journalists.

Lt Bingo retreated to the room where he had been holding Wamala hostage, and never replied with gunfire.

After about 30 minutes of total silence, a huge blast went off from inside the room where Bingo was holed up. Security personnel said he killed himself with explosives that ripped him to pieces. Lt. Bingo blew himself up inside the toilet to avoid being captured alive.

Then director-general of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Brig (now retired Maj Gen) Jim Muhwezi described Bingo as a psychiatric case.

Bingo ran back inside and exploded himself. Bingo, 39, was taxi driver in Kampala born at Rwakaraba village, Kirigyime, sub-county, Ndorwa County, Kabale.

He was a Tabliq Muslim and Ugandan of Rwandese origin according to police records.

Wamala authors book
EMMANUEL Cardinal Wamala authored The Reflections on the word of God on the 21 hours he was taken hostage by Saidi Bingo, at Rubaga on February 3, 1992. 

In the book, he narrates that Bingo entered the office and was given a seat. It was around 11:00am. From a polythene bag, he produced his weapons and said: "These are deadly, so unless I get what I want today, by two o'clock, you will be dead."

Bingo demanded three people in return for the cardinal's release. The manager of Florian Bar at Nakivubo, the cashier at the same bar and a man who, he said, had been with the cashier the previous night. He claimed they had infected his wife HIV/AIDS.

"He demanded that I call the president to surrender these people. I asked him; you know where they are and you have the weapons, why then ask me to ask the president?"

"He said, "if the President knows you are arrested, he will take action." "I told him my telephone could not reach the President. He said: "Write to him." "I wrote the letter and gave it to somebody to take it to the President," Wamala said.

By the end of the ordeal, the two had become friends. The cardinal freely asked him questions and Bingo answered them. "He told me to go on with my work while we waited for a response from the President. He allowed me to use the telephone, allowed my secretaries to come into the office and he let a nurse bring me a blanket at night.

"The next morning, he allowed a nun to bring me the vestments for saying mass."

At one point, a girl went in to see the Cardinal. She asked for money for school fees but he said he was not in a position to give her any. However, Bongo asked how much the girl needed, counted the money and gave it to her. "There were some elements of goodness in him. I don't know what really disturbed him."

"I forgive him as the Pope forgave the Turkish Ali Agra, who shot him on May 13, 1981."

The 470-page autobiography, written by Fred Ssekitto, the commissioner for information in Kampala Archdiocese, profiles Cardinal Wamala's life and service to the church and Uganda. It also highlights his impact on society because of his integrity and fights for justice. It is available in bookshops at sh20,000.

Cardinal Wamala was born on December 15, 1926, at Kamaggwa, Lwaggulwe, Masaka, to the late Cosma Kyamira and Theresa Namayanja. He became a priest in 1957, bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana in 1981 and succeeded Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga in 1990. He has now retired from active service and resides at Nsambya.

Additional information by Juliet Lukwago



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