Shopping arcades cleared to reopen as Kampala returns to normalcy after bomb blasts

Business in Kampala business district is slowly returning to normalcy following twin bombings on two locations in the city on Tuesday.

Several shopping arcades and major roads were on Wednesday, 17 November 2021 cleared to reopen by police following closure to expedite investigations into the attacks.

Shopping arcades along Luwum Street, Wilson Road and Dastur Street had been sealed off with police sniffer dogs at the scene. Also, crowds near Old Taxi Park were on Tuesday dispersed by police while security personnel have deployed at all buildings that house commercial banks.

Mabirizi Plaza, which is near the Central Police Station, where one of the explosions happened, had also been closed off, with people ordered out of the building. Burton Street and Johnson Street had also been blocked for both cars and people.

But on Wednesday, police spokesman Fred Enanga said investigators have finished sweeping all buildings surrounding the blast sites and other vital installations, for secondary devices, with the assistance of the canine teams.

“No secondary devices were found and the surrounding buildings have been cleared, for resumption of activities,” he said.

Mr Enanga said all the closed roads around the scenes of crime have been reopened to traffic.

“The only restricted section is the stretch from CPS to Buganda road court,” he said.

“Our Joint CT task teams have completed documenting evidence from the inner perimeters at the two blast sites, evidence from the motorcycles used, and body samples for DNA. They also obtained very critical cyber leads and other digital evidence,” he added.

Police have also revealed the identities of the three civilians who died in Tuesday’s twin bombings in Kampala on Tuesday.

Six people, including three bombers, died in the attacks while the fourth civilian died at Mulago Hospital overnight, according to the management of the national referral.

Enanga said the civilians were PC Kungu Amos, a police officer attached to CPS and Basibe Ismail, who also died from the spot at CPS. The third victim has been identified as Christopher Sande, who died on the spot from the bomb attack along Parliamentary Avenue.

“We have in addition, identified the relatives to the 37 injured persons out of whom 27 were police officers and 10 civilians. So far, 19 police officers and 05 civilians have been discharged. And only 13 victims remain admitted,” he added.