The one year hunt for, Frank David Ssemwogerere alias Col Nduggwa, the alleged commander of Uganda Coalition Forces for Change (UCFC) a rebel outfit based in Mityana has come to an end following his arrest in clandestine security operations.
Nduggwa has been on joint security watch list since October last year when incidents of attacking police officers, security guards and soldiers started being rampant. Daily Press has learnt that Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence -CMI and Crime Intelligence -CI nabbed Nduggwa over a fortnight ago when he was trailed going to his home village in Busimbi sub-county, Mityana district.
UCFC had pitched base in Mityana last year from where it allegedly planned attacks on police posts, lonely walking soldiers, guards and singly deployed guards. Before CMI, CI and Flying Squad dismantling UCFC camp, the group had successfully conducted attacks in among other districts Mityana, Nakaseke, Kiboga, Wakiso and Luweero.
In these attacks, police officers and soldiers that include Alfred Okech, Emmanuel Okirima, Francis Nsubuga, David Okiror, Moses Kigongo, and Paul Ndiba had injured and others left dead. CI director Brig Chris Damulira, Flying Squad commander, ACP Andrew Kaggwa and CMI director Maj Gen James Birungi resolved to hunt for Nduggwa and his deputy in order to put a stop on the group’s activities.
Thus a hunt for commanders was intensified leading to the fleeing of Nduggwa to South Africa. But in April this year, security learnt that he had clandestinely sneaked back into the country and his first activity was coordinating roadside bombs along Kampala -Masaka-Mbarara highway.
Among the victims of the roadside bombs was Principal Judge Dr Flavian Zeija whose motorcade was damaged including four police guards on their way back to Kampala. At first, reports indicated that Dr Zeija had been short at but bomb experts later established that it was a road side bomb of Improvised Explosive material.
Before Dr Zeija incident, another bomb had gone off in Lwengo district where a Plado TX was damaged by shrapnel. In July this year, panga wielding men attacked police officers at a road checkpoint in Luweero district where Constable Ronald Busingye was killed while his colleague Josephat Twinamatsiko survived with serious injuries.
In August, counter-terrorism police officers guarding the Equator at Kayabwe they were attack and one died as a result of hacking. The deceased counter-terrorism corp was identified as Lawrence Otim while Paul Nkolo survived with injuries.
Away from soldiers and police officers reduced to death or injury statistics by attackers who have majorly been moving in pairs, security guards have also been victims of gangs linked to Col Nduggwa. Among the killed guards include James Amuriat killed in Lusaze and gun taken in August.
Samuel Muhindo guarding general stores in Kawempe was killed and gun taken this month. Muhindo’s shooting came on heels of the murder probe of Bernard Nalulu a guard killed at Kamuli road in Kireka Township. One of the violent crime security unit told URN that Col Nduggwa has already reconstructed seven scenes in Wakiso, Mityana, Luweero and Nakaseke.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, said the joint security agencies have realised that Nduggwa tried to entice many youth in the Central region to join his rebel activities but they declined. He, however, said some remnants of UCFC rebel outfit are still active but they will be picked if they don’t surrender themselves. Nduggwa was charged today in the general court martial and remanded. The state has already prepared 13 witnesses.