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Saturday 17th June 2023 was fateful, Ugandans and the world woke up to disturbing news of the attack on a school in Mpondwe just 2kms away from the boarder of Congo with Uganda in Kasese district.
Police and army confirmed in their statements that it’s the Allied Democratic Forces ADF who carried out the heinous act where they left 37 students dead and other 4 support staff of the school also killed, 8 students were critically injured and taken to Bwera hospital for medical attention while a number of students yet to be known were abducted.
UPDF has since said it’s giving a hot pursuit to capture the rebels and also rescue the students who were abducted during the fateful night.
President Museveni dispatched the ministry of education bosses to go commiserate with the school on behalf of government and also sent the CDF Gen Wilson Mbadi and CLF Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga to join other UPDF bosses to do an on-sport assessment.
While in Kasese, Minister for Higher Education Chrysestom Muyingo said government would give UGX5m cash to every family that lost a relative during the attack, those in hospitals will also be support and will help the school to resume operations. On his side, the commander of the mountain Division and Operation Shujaa Maj Gen Dick Olum revealed that the rebels spent two nights in the area preparing the attack.
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In his message conveyed through his twitter account, president Museveni has described the attack as Criminal, Desperate, terrorist and futile. Museveni also says the school had some land wrangles and this might have aided criminals and the rebels to execute their mission successful.
The president who has been in self-isolation at Nakasero state lodge has condoled with the families of the students on losing their children at the hands of such rogue elements whom he says have lost the battle and desperate after the army crushed them terribly and killed some of their leaders incuding Mulaaro who was gunned down few weeks ago in Mwalika valley.
According to Museveni if the people in Mpondwe were as vigilant and alert as those in Ntoroko, this attack on the school may never have happened. 51 ADF fighters stormed villages in Ntoroko last year on 13th December but villagers alerted the army and authorities and a fierce fighting that lasted several hours ensued.
In Ntoroko, 26 ADF rebels were killed, 25 were captured live, 2 light machine guns and 7 IEDs were recovered. Among those captured was their leader Ekyakute a musoga by tribe.
President Museveni further in his statement reveals that the ADF rebels had concurred the South and West of Rwenzori mountain on the Congo side for over 20 years and were even collecting taxes from the residents but operation Shujaa has made them lose terribly, killing many and others scampering like confused goats.
Museveni says the attack might be an eye opener and UPDF will be bringing more side on the Ugandan side as the hunt for more ADF groups on the Congo side continues to rage on.
Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.
Greetings. Condolences on the death of the 37 students of Nyabugaando Peter Hunter Secondary School at the hands of the terrorists of ADF, possibly working with other criminals, because I hear that school had some wrangles about it. I… pic.twitter.com/UmTkP7NmLo
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 18, 2023
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