Security personnel investigate suspected bomb blast in Lwengo

Lwengo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security personnel in Lwengo district are investigating a suspected bomb blast in Kyangoma village, Kkingo sub-county.

Winfred Nalwanga, a resident of Nkoni trading center along the Masaka-Mbarara highway says a strange explosion was heard at about 9:30pm on Sunday, causing a panic in the area.

“Moments later, we heard people in the neighborhood raising alarm and calling for help, which prompted officers from Nkoni police post to respond to the situation,” she says.

Nalwanga narrates that although the incident left no injuries, the community was left in fear after police and residents that rushed to respond to the situation recovered suspicious metallic materials at the scene.

“The incident occurred at a time when many people had gathered for Easter at a discotheque located about 150 meters from the scene of the incident, and accordingly all revelers were instructed to return home,” she indicates.

The suspicious explosion occurred a few meters away from the Masaka-Mbarara highway, disrupting traffic on Monday as the police bomb squad visited the scene.

Muhammad Nsubuga, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson confirms that a joint security team responded to the blast, and will give details of their investigations later.

He has appealed to the community to remain calm, saying that the security team has assessed the situation and confirmed that there was no more danger.

However, there are claims that the suspicious blast damaged a motor vehicle, which the police are however hesitant to talk about.

Last year, security personnel arrested a man suspected to have assembled a device that exploded inside a bus belonging to Swift Transport Company. The incident occurred at Lungala in Mpigi district.

According to the police, the suspect Isma Kiyemba led the operatives to his residence in Makadwa village, where an assortment of bomb-making materials and chemical substances used in assembling improvised explosive devices were recovered as exhibits.

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