ANATOMY OF A TERROR ATTACK --- THE DAY TERROR WAS VISITED ON KAMPALA

On July 11, 2010, near simultaneous explosions – heard as dull thuds around Kampala, went off at Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala and at Kyadondo Rugby Club grounds in Lugogo, in Uganda’s worst terror attack.

Revelers had gathered at the two venues for the televised showing of the football World Cup between Spain and Netherlands.

The shock waves and shrapnel from the bombs accounted for seventy-six people. Many others were maimed, scarred for life; physically and mentally.

The next day, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), was discovered at a bar, Makindye House, in Makindye a city suburb. Rigged to explode when the detonator, a phone rang but it malfunctioned.

Subsequently, Uganda Police sought assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and a probe commenced. Various people were then apprehended in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania and tried over four years in a Kampala court.

On Thursday 26^th May – 2146 days after the bombs went off, Justice Owiny Dollo passed judgement on the 13 suspects, bringing to a close a tale of international intrigue, terrorist conspiracy and misguided youth.

How plot was weaved

When was the attack on Kampala conceived?

It is hard to say but it is almost certain that the plot was hatched in Somalia, that occupies the horn of Africa with Kenya and Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east.
A largely barRen land about two and half times the size of Uganda, it has been racked by civil conflict since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991, by a coalition of clans backed by Ethiopia and Libya.

Out of that intractable civil war has emerged the Al Shabaab, a Islamic youth movement that started as an offshoot of Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which for a time was in control of the country before the Ethiopian army and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) routed them in 2006.

Since 2007 Al Shabaab has been waging war against the Africa Somalia Mission (AMISOM) – a UN sanction peace enforcement force manned by Ugandan and Burundi troops, and the Somali government.

With their back against the wall Al Shabaab put out an international distress call and set up training camps in its areas of operations to train fighters from all around the world.

It against this background of larger forces swirling around the globe, moved by events in as far flung places as Afghanistan and Washington DC and beyond their control or comprehension that Mahmoud Mugisha and Isa Ahmed Luyima, a former librarian at Kampala International University, met for the first time in an Al Shabaab training camp in the hot sands  of Somalia 2009.

Isa was known by the code name Basayevu, and was a member of the militant outfit.

Isa and Nsubuga were trained in hand to hand combat, fire arms and explosives in bases in Baidoa, Barawe and Kismayu, and engaged in several attacks on African Mission to Somalia( AMISOM) positions during the duration of their stay in Somalia.

The two would eventually become the Ugandan arm of a four man team tasked with leading the terror attack on Kampala.

On return to Uganda in February 2010, Isa, who was born in Kawempe, a northern Kampala suburb, was tasked with finding suitable Al Shabaab targets in Kampala.

Isa instructed Mugisha to rent a house in Kampala, to serve as the base point for the teams that would be involved in the mission.

Going by court testimony it is clear that Issa had seniority over Mugisha, who he carefully cultivated into Al Shabaab, convincing him that he had a religious obligation to wage Jihad, holy war against the tormentors of Somali Jihadists fighting to wrest their country from the clutches of the infidels.

With Mugisha and seven others, training continued for the Kampala attack in a rented house in Namasuba, a southern surburb on Kampala, on the only road leading to the country’s international airport form the capital.

Previously Issa had rejected a house rented by Mugisha in Nakulabye.

In April Mugisha and Habib Suleiman Njoroge travelled to Nairobi to collect the explosives, from a house in South B.

The house in South B was registered in the name’s of Mohammad Ali Mohammad, who was part of the four man team leading the attack

The items; four green plastic bags, were loaded into the boot of the Land Cruiser, under the watchful eye of Nyamandondo, who then proceeded to Uganda.

Before returning to Kampala for the final mission Mugisha  made a quick detour to Somalia  and fought in several fierce battles for Al Shabaab in which they they attacked several AMISOM bases, and also contended with retaliatory attacks.

On May 9, 2010, Seleimani Hijar Nyamandondo, a henchman of the Mohammed Ali Mohammad of the Kenyan wing of the operation, and Mugisha brought explosive material and the suicide vests into the country.

Issa in a statement to the police said he had received the suicide vests from Nyamandondo following an advance called from one Hanif from Nairobi who alerted him that they were on the way.

Nyamandondo was driving a green Toyota Land Cruiser, with Tanzanian registered license plate number T595 ADH, which car would lead to his eventual arrest months down the road.

They met at National Theater, drove to Java’s Café Bombo road where they had tea, before they went to Namasuba.

 The explosives were kept in the house of Edris Nsubuga, Issa’s friend.

The two had met in 2004, when they both served in the Kampala International University library. They struck up a relationship which came in handy when Issa was helped Edris through a rough patch with his wife, who had known Issa before they were married.

Nsubuga, claimed he did not know that explosives had been deposited at his house until a month later.

“The day he came to pick his “things” packed in a plastic bag that I had kept all along, thinking they were his domestic items brought by his friend form Kenya in May, I got terrified,” Nsubuga wrote in a rambling confession to President Yoweri Museveni in which he blamed Issa for roping him into the murderous plot.

“He called me to the room where they had been kept and I found him seated on the floor, with the items laid on the floor. He seemed to be checking, sorting and confirming what was in the bag. He told me “Eno y’esonga (this is the issue)”



THE GENESIS

On July 11, 2010, near simultaneous explosions at Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala and at Kyadondo Rugby Club grounds in Lugogo.Revellers had gathered at the two venues for the climax of the televised football World Cup match between Spain and Netherlands.

Seventy-six people perished, several others were maimed, some for life; physically and mentally.

The next day, an Improvised Explosive Device, was discovered at a bar complex, Makindye House, located in the city suburb of Makindye.It was rigged to explode when the phone rang but it malfunctioned. Police bomb squad recovered it the next day.

Somalia’s militant outfit Al shabaab, with strong links to global patron All Qaeda, claimed responsibility. It was the outfit’s maiden attack beyond Somalia’s borders.

The attack was a show of intent and a push for a credit rating to showcase ability to implement its threat to strike internationally and receive approval and recognition from Al Qaeda.

Al Shabaab has sought the affections of Al Qaeda’s central leadership since early 2008  The group champions the same philosophy, and Al Qaeda, has constantly issued many public statements and pledging allegiance to the global  outfit.

In June 2008, Al Shabaab supremo, Mukhtar Abu Zubair, outed a propaganda video, exalting Al Qaeda principals Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and Abu Yahya al Libi.

In September 2009, Al shabaab released an attention seeking  propaganda video titled, ‘At Your Service, Oh Osama’ with incessant voices in the video speaking glowingly of the now slain supremo.

In February 2010, the outfit justified its threats and attack strategy, saying in a statement: “Jihad in the Horn of Africa must be combined with the international jihad led by the al Qaeda network’.

The Afghan trained Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali, set up the first militant training camps in Somalia, and was behind the radical and aggressive communications strategy, calling for massive recruitment.

The propaganda videos, carefully crafted with professional precision, with promises of better life and abundant rewards.

To attract international appeal, it has strategically broadcast English language videos and audios, imploring youth on essence of Jihad. A franchise designation is an invaluable tool, giving credibility and a known brand name to groups seeking to attract aspiring Islamist militants.  Additionally, it buffers their financial muscle, as they benefit from the logistical and financial generosity of Al Qaeda’s deep pockets.

The main weapons and tactics synonymous with Al shabaab include suicide bombs, roadside improvised explosive devices, and mortar attacks.

But AMISOM troops have responded, securing a big portion of the land, and minimised the threats.

Nsubuga said on seeing what Issa identified as explosives, he was badly shaken, though he denied this when Issa asked him.  Nsubuga couldn’t help noticing though that Issa was cool, calm and collected that day, before he left with the explosives.

According to his confession Nsubuga was instrumental in scoping the terror targets. A regular man about town, despite his Muslim faith, Nsubuga knew what to look for when Issa was looking for suitable sites for his nefarious plans.

Among the places they looked over were several bars and restaurants in Kabalagala before the settled on the Ethiopian Village, Kyadondo Rugby ground and Makindye House for their lax security.

Nyamandondo spent the night at Naigara Hotel, off Entebbe road, a few meters away from the Najjanankumbi mosque, and departed the next day. Isa booked into the same hotel, a single floor affair, with a brick wall lined with old palm trees, under the pseudo name ‘Moses’.

Investigators were later able to ascertain that Issa had been at the hotel when a handwriting expert analysed a specimen of his handwriting with that of the queried guest registration book that had the name ‘Moses’, and found that they were a match.

Shortly after the explosives arrived in the country three Kenyans – Kaka, Kakasule and one other whose name he could not remember came into the country, who Issa were informed were part of the plot.

Kaka and Kakasule lived with Issa for a week before Kaka and the unnamed Kenya returned to Mogadishu via Nairobi. They were restless and had got tired of waiting.

A Somali boy, maybe in his mid to late teens, Morsul, came in from Nairobi to replace Kaka.

Another operative Hanif made his way to Kampala around the same time and it turned out he was the man who made the final connections before the bombs were dispatched to the target sites.

Issa singled out the Ethiopian village for attack because the Ethiopian had dislodged the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) had continued to fight the Al Shabaab.

He had expressed some reluctance to attack sites where Ugandans patronised but was accused of nationalism and of being insensitive to the havoc the UPDF had wrecked in Mogadishu.

However on the eve of the bombing Issa discovered that he was understaffed. The Somali and Kenyan bombers did not know their way around so he had to conscript locals to deliver them to the bob sites.

Out of desperation he called upon his brother Hassan and Nsubuga. The two were introduced to each other days before the operation, when they were carrying out surveillance on Makindye house.

On the eve of the attack Issa at a meeting at Majestic Plaza, on Williams street, he gave both Hassan and Nsubuga the keys to the Namasuba house, which they were to use to access the house and clean it out after the attack.

Issa’s instructions to the duo were short and succinct: Haruna’s job was to transport one of the suicide bombers, Kakasule, to Ethiopian Village Restaurant, and also drop off the explosive bag at Makindye House.

While Nsubuga was supposed to take the Somali teen, Morsul to Kyadondo rugby club.

He also instructed Nsubuga, but not his brother, to blow himself up in the event that security agents were about to arrest him.

Before they proceeded to Namasuba, they made a stopover at Mutaasa Kafero Plaza, and purchased two mobile phone handsets; a Nokia 3510 and an MTN Kabiriti, which were to be used as detonating devices in the mission.

On the eve of the blasts, Haruna took Nsubuga to the Namasuba Safe House and introduced him to the suicide bombers as a brother in the struggle.

Issa left for Mombasa on the eve of the terror attacks.

On the fateful day at 4pm, Haruna, who had purchased snacks for the suicide bombers, met Nsubuga at Kenjoy Supermarket along Entebbe Road. Nsubuga was told to report to the Namasuba house at 6pm.

A demonstration on the assembly of the explosives, was arranged for an already afraid Nsubuga but Haruna comforted him, with reassurance that all that was required was to make a phone call to the wired mobile device, that would be triggered to explode.

Haruna ordered Nsubuga to blow himself up in the event of detection by security personnel. Thereafter, Nsubuga proceeded to Kyadondo Rugby Club, with the other suicide bomber, Mursal.

Nsubuga and the suicide bomber Mursal had contrasting feelings about the mission. While Nsubuga was a nervous wreck, and wanted to abort the operation, Mursal was ecstatic that it was the perfect opportunity to strike because of the multitude of merry making revellers.

Nsubuga had no choice but to place two bags on the table nearby with the laptop bag containing the explosives.

Mursal became impatient and signaled to Nsubuga that it was perfect timing to detonate But a quick-thinking Nsubuga cautioned him that Police officers had upped their patrol.

Mursal heeded, and the first half ended with singer Bebe Cool coming onto the stage.

They later concurred that the detonation be executed at 11:15pm.

Mursal then gave Nsubuga a thumbs-up to signal that all was set. Nsubuga responded with the same sign in acknowledgement, and headed towards the main entrance, to avoid becoming a victim, since he had rejected suggestions that he become a suicide bomber.

Time check 11:15pm, and the nerves got the better of Nsubuga, who instead called another friend to chat about the match. Shortly thereafter, a loud bang reverberated from the side where the giant screen was stationed. Some boda boda riders, stationed at the main entrance, speculated that a transformer could have blown.

Nsubuga knew that there was no turning back. He immediately made the much dreaded call to the phone that was connected to the carefully-wired device, which then ignited the second explosion.

He got on a boda boda, which headed to the taxi park, from where he boarded a taxi to his Najjanankumbi residence.

Nsubuga heard breaking news on the blasts from one of the radio stations relaying the live match commentary.

******************


The 2010 World Cup was a particularly special one for Africa as it was being hosted by the continent – in South Africa, for the first time.

And the final was interesting too. In finalists Spain and the Netherlands we were assured of a first time winner. The last time such a final happened was in 1978 when again Netherlands was pipped to the top honours by Argentina, the host nation.

The sense of history that surrounded the event was probably lost on three young adults, who with their friends went to Kyadondo Rugby Club and the Ethiopian Village to witness the televised finale.
Yusuf Kiganda testified that on the day he and five other friends – Brian Kivumbi, Brian Kawooy, Nicholas Kyambadde, Brenda Nabachwa nd Trevor Mawejje boarded a taxi, outside the Bank of Uganda on Kampala club at around 5 pm.

At the club Kiganda remembers that they were among the first to arrive and had were spoilt for choice in where they could seat. They sat a few seats from the front not far from where Morsul would blow himself up.

The match described by BBC’s Paul Fletcher reporting from Johannesburg, was tense and bad tempered – 14 yellows were shown and a Dutch man sent off. Though Spain dominated possession, the match had few moments of real quality and went deep into extra time. The winning goal was scored by Iniesta in the 116^th minute.

But Kigadanda and his friends did not get to see the goal as around the 75^th minute all hell broke lose when the first bomb went off at Kyadondo grounds.

“Suddenly, there was a big bang, and I could not tell what had happened.I found myself lying on the ground. My friends were also down. I did not realise they were dead, and I never knew what had happened to me,” Kiganda recalled.

Apparently he had been flung out of his chair by the bombs shockwaves, his body lacerated by the shrapnel and he had lost all sense of hearing.

David Muwemba a few meters away may have been saved by his drink.

“As I reached for my beer under the chair, I raised my head, saw smoke, and thought there was a power interruption.I felt drops on my shoulder, and thought it was rain but realised it was blood,” he testified before Justice Owiny Dollo.

He had the presence of mind to grab his friend Bonita Nakato’s hand head … stumbling and tripping over fallen revellers towards the main entrance of the club.

His other friends, Frank Mukwaya, Peter Oye and Peter Byekwaso were felled where they sat.








HOW MAKINDYE BOMBING BACKFIRED

At about 9:30pm, waiter at the Icelink bar Joseph Buzoya, served drinks to his boss was, madam Charlotte and her husband. Shortly thereafter, he heard a phone ringing and I saw a black bag on the tiled floor.

He did not touch the bag because people were many, as he feared to be mistaken for a thief. Buzoya worked as a cashier for the day, since the cashier was away.’

The following day, at about 3pm, out of curiosity, he unzipped the bag after co-workers who had kept the bag, pressured him into doing so to ascertain ownership and demand money from the owner.

The workmates Fiona and Joseph Tembo, convinced him to ascertain the contents, since many patrons usually forgot property at the bar.

Buzoya speculated that it could be a bomb because of the devastating twin attacks of the previous night. But Fiona and Tembo dismissed it as a joke. They were determined to ascertain the owner of the bag, as they hoped to be given a reward.

When the black laptop bag was unzipped, it contained a cable, the size of a laptop charger, a torn cloth, a wooden object that had started decaying, and white masking tape. Buzoya hurriedly zipped the bag and looked for the manager, after realising that his workmates were anxious and querying why he was rummaging through someone’s property, while other patrons watched, and wanted to be attended to.

But since the manager was not around, Buzoya sought advice from a obne Moses, worker at the nearby Hakuna Matata pork  joint, who  said the prudent thing was to call the Police. Thereafter, one of the customers,only introduced as Kabuye, called the Police.

Shortly, security personnel from Katwe Police station, cordoned off the area, and demanded for the bag. After about 20 minutes, Counter Terrorism Police arrived and combed the entire area with three sniffer dogs.

The bar was evacuated, and  an 100-metre no go-zone was instituted at the crime scene. But curious people gathered and were hesitant to leave. Police chased them away.

After 30 minutes, Police issued a statement that they had discovered a second bomb. The told us that they found it hidden in the hedge.

The workers were sent home, and summoned to Katwe Police station the next day where they recorded statements.

 NSUBUGA CONFESSION TO MUSEVENI 

The following is an abridged version of the confession statement of Mohamed Ali Mohamed. Although court rejected it on the premise that it was recorded irregularly, prosecution relied on its contents to incriminate the accused.

Nsubuga writes to Museveni, begs for pardon

Self-confessed Kyaddondo Rugby Grounds bomb detonator Nsubuga, pleaded guilty after a soul-searching talk with slain prosecutor Joan Kagezi at Luzira prison.

He volunteered information and asked President Yoweri Museveni for forgiveness.

Contents of Nsubuga’s letter, dated October 27, 2010, were highlighted during mitigation, after he was  sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Nsubuga Edris,
Luzira Upper Prison,
Remand Section,
27 October 2010

HE Yoweri K Museveni,
The President, Republic of
Uganda
President’s Office, Nakasero
Kampala,
Uganda.

Dear Sir,
Re: Request for Forgiveness and Pardon
It is only through the power of God that I have this opportunity to write to you, taking into account the many tasks that are keeping you busy. However, I feel very humbled at this opportunity.

Your Excellency, it is very absurd that I was involved in the acts that tragically shook the nation that you lead, on July 11, 2010. I have always felt obliged to apologize and ask for forgiveness from you, the President of this country.

I am a man of sound mind, who honestly just happened to be caught in a web of delusions, deceit, manipulation, hatred and spite towards everything that was going on in my life as well as threats from a trusted friend who happens to be a member of Al Shabaab.

At the time, I had domestic problems with my wife and I took him in as a confidant because he happened to know her before I did. He often helped me out by talking to her and fortunately, sometime we would get along.
I believe he realised my weakness at that time and he took advantage of the moment to delude me and sow that evil seed in me. He intensely swarmed me, always telling me to change and better my ways, and rarely did he miss talking about issues concerning Somalia.

He often called me early in the morning to tune in to Al Jazeera [television news network] and watch the new developments in Somalia, if there were any. When I look back, I believe he was just inducing hatred and bias into me at the time because he had never mentioned his mission.

I was totally ignorant and less concerned about the Somalia issues as I had my problems to solve. Once, I informed him about my intended trip to Rwanda, to try to find a job, and he stopped me from going, the reason being that he wanted to meet me urgently before I left.

I did meet him and that is when he revealed his mission to me, though concealing the details for his own [benefit]. He started by quoting some verses from the Qur’an, emphasising how I had to answer this call from God; employing a lot of silver tongued, confusing and bewildering promises.

It is through his tireless efforts, [and]repeated exhortations that I succumbed to this conviction, not knowing how grave it was and the consequences that lay ahead – all because of ignorance.

Your Excellency, I acknowledge that I made a very irrational decision of accepting to help him. However, I believe anyone under my situation would have been susceptible to such confusion and conviction, unconsciously.

He asked me to move with him around any hangouts that I knew that were frequented by whites – since I am an outgoing person. He said that was my simple role in answering this call from God.

His aim was to punish the Americans for their support against his colleagues and to intimidate the Ugandan government out of Somalia as well.

This was around June 19 because on June 21, he informed me that he had received visitors from Kenya to help him with his mission, so we had to visit the places as soon as possible since his superiors had grown impatient.

His interest was places without tight security and indeed, he was pleased with Kyadondo Rugby Club, which we did visit around June 26. All this time, he was still concealing the details of his mission and spoke little to me.

Once again, I informed him about my intended trip to Rwanda, but he told me that I could not go because there was no way he was going to explain that to his bosses, who, to my understanding, were always coming in from Kenya. He emphasized that they could not take that excuse and he reminded and reassured me about how my role was so simple.

The day he came to pick his “things” packed in a plastic bag that I had kept all along, thinking they were his domestic items brought by his friend from Kenya in May, I got more terrified.

He called me to the room where they had been kept and I found him seated on the floor, with the items laid on the floor as well. He seemed to be checking, sorting and confirming what was in the bag.

He told me in Luganda “eno y’ensonga”, meaning, “this is the whole issue”.
He told me they were explosives to be used in his mission. I complained that all along, I thought that I had been keeping household items.

He responded by asking me whether I was scared. I told him I was not, although I was trembling and very scared. He seemed so strong willed, determined and firm, and again assured me that I shouldn’t be scared. He left with his explosives, and the following days were full of uncertainty.

I became hesitant to answer his phone calls until we met in town and he gave me a dire warning that his bosses were not at all pleased with my behaviour.

I told him I had made my final arrangements to leave for Kigali and my wife was at home as well, so I could not help him anymore. He responded by speaking to me seriously, in a soft tone, that I could not leave, lest I am treated as a traitor.

He said a traitor is punished by beheading. I realised the true gravity of the whole matter. Without tasking your patience, briefly that is how it started and was carried out, as per what I stated.

However, I want to affirm that I value life, peace and harmony, even though I cannot explain much about this one fateful moment when I took this emotional decision of accepting.

Sir, however much I was under strict orders, I got some courage under all that fire to defy some orders. I was able to convince and stop the suicide bomber from entering the crowd with the bag of explosives and I tried my best to leave it somewhere far from the crowd, without informing him.

Even then, I had not imagined how lethal these explosives were because I had been lied to that they were simply for intimidation. I was also seriously cautioned to blow up myself in case any security official closed in on me in order not to fall into their hands, which would hinder future plans and plots.

I did detonate the explosives in the bag just to save myself; I did not want these wretches to hold me accountable for not doing as told, but I tried my best to place the bag far away from the crowd.

After the incident, I was full of anxiety, anguish and uncertainty. However, when I got arrested, I voluntarily revealed how everything had happened. Honestly, I was not tortured to do so by the men whom I had been seriously cautioned not to let myself fall into their hands.

I did so because I did not and do not believe in that cause. I revealed the whereabouts of my contact and also information about his friend and would-be partner, Mugisha Mahmoud, who was supposed to blow himself up originally, but was at large.

I also revealed information about the movement of funds and the style of communication to one another. I have learnt a lot through stories during the time I have been in custody, about how the organization of Al-Shabaab conducts its work.
I know how they recruit, who they recruit, how they communicate, and their disguise in public, and how they successfully propagate their evil doctrines.

I am totally averse to their aggressive acts and this is why I am begging and requesting, with all due respect, to be given chance to redeem myself by giving back to the nation and people that I harmed, wronged, transgressed and put in such indescribable grief when I involved myself in these acts.

Your Excellency, we are yearning for a solution, but the big question is, ‘is there one?’ Of course yes; if you would let me now substantiate what I assert.

Through my study and analysis, the strategy I have devised to achieve this great purpose requires the [least] of means, yet there will be astounding results. My strategy is similar to the one you employed when combating the AIDS scourge when you assumed the leadership of this country. This strategy is AWARENESS and indeed, you succeeded significantly.

The task calls for tremendous fortitude, but I get the inspiration from yourSowing the Mustard Seed, where the idea to liberate this country was just in one man’s mind, but it later became a significant reality.

First of all, the problem arises from feigning tolerance towards these few, determined individuals who pause as Sheiks in our midst and are busy propagating these evil ideologies just because there is freedom of speech and worship that you allowed, Sir.

These individuals have ventured in translating the Qur’an with their interpretations greatly influenced by their own prejudices and bias. They have a sickness that has let their egos overshadow their sense of logic and understanding.

They are fully inflated with pride and lack genuine humility, only being hungry for violence just to whet their appetites. They have also resorted to foul means to subvert the religion and have cultivated a predilection for promises that inevitably strike, bewilder, confuse and convince the poor, ignorant listeners.

They are merely winking on flimsy pretences based on prejudiced and misinterpreted verses of the Qur’an, thus succeeding in propagating their philosophies and keeping their audience under the much needed subjugation.

From their eloquent speeches and deportment, they are able to draw attention anywhere and win the hearts of ignorant youth. They have imputed that the Sheiks preaching against their evil ways are traitors.

They do mock democracy, yet the smugly wink with gratification at their unnatural ways of violence. These aggressors will never be satisfied with their relentless assaults, attacks and attempts on people’s lives.

Your Excellency, we have a more sombre responsibility of extricating our ignorant young Muslim and non Muslim youth from the spiritual quagmire into which they are wallowing.

By employing the help of young Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who are without fear or favour and are ready to suffer obloquy for their convictions, we can be able to debunk the lies of these wretched men and prevent the youth from pandering these many prejudices.

There are genuine Sheiks who have tried to preach right, but their timidity cannot permit them to do so anymore, citing loss of their lives, as the topic of jihad has become too provocative.

We should not make half-hearted and skimpy efforts in this cause; we should endure greatly, and I believe that in tackling this issue publicly through organized seminars, TV and radio talk shows, and so on, the youth easily get an insight and they will not refuse to acknowledge the truth and facts.

The hearts that are hard will be melted and the tender, doubtful and ignorant ones that require support will be diverted from falling into the snares of evil.

More regeneration and religious reform will be achieved and all the doctrines of these evil men will ultimately crumble to dust. Prejudices die hard and none of these wretches would like to lose their adherents, but with endurance, we will win the would-be adherents from such conviction.

As a victim of manipulation, I’m ready to set forth and grasp fully the enormity of this task in order to limit the scope of propagation of evil and terrorism and prevent our country from living in fear and trepidation inflicted on its people at the behest of these aggressors.

Your Excellency, you have led this nation from ruins to its much enjoyed peace and happiness. The people of Uganda owe you gratitude and a debt they cannot repay.
It is the same treasure I am humbly requesting to preserve, and I am strongly convinced that this era of panic, terror, hatred and spite caused by these men will end.

Your Excellency, once more, I affirm that I am totally and honestly averse to these acts and I condemn them. It is that I only feared for my life and was left with no choice but only a small opportunity of avoiding to harm more people.

I hope you are heeding to my plea to fulfill my endeavour. I also pray and hope that in you, I will find the [abounding] grace and mercy you have always possessed as a generous patron, parent and leader, even during times of anger, to personally forgive and pardon me as a delinquent who acknowledges and regrets my mistake.
May God bless and guide you in the forthcoming general presidential elections.

Yours faithfully,

Edris Nsubuga