An armed robbery suspect has made a stunning accusation: he claims a senior commander from a key counter-terrorism unit is running the criminal gang behind a string of violent robberies in central Uganda. Police arrested him after a shoot-out in Kireka, Kira Municipality, last week.
The confrontation started when patrol officers encountered armed thugs. One suspect died in the gunfire. Another surrendered and handed over an assault rifle. Preliminary checks show the weapon belongs to a specialized anti-terrorism unit under Uganda’s security forces.
According to a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the surviving armed robbery suspect pleaded for his life at the scene. He then offered to expose the gang’s leadership. Specifically, he alleged that a high-ranking military officer—attached to a counter-terrorism unit—was giving orders for the robberies.
Police have launched a joint investigation. “Our sister security agencies have also joined the probe,” the source said, “since a senior military officer has been named.” So far, neither Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala nor national police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has commented publicly. Rusoke did not respond to questions sent last week.
This marks the second time in six months that authorities have recovered anti-terrorism unit firearms from suspected criminals. In July 2025, police seized two assault rifles from robbers in Kyotera District. Those suspects were allegedly planning to steal Shs50 million from a coffee dealer.
Investigators now believe the recently recovered gun may have played a role in multiple robberies across Kampala Metropolitan East since last year. They are working hard to trace how the weapon left official custody and ended up in criminal hands.
Authorities say most security force firearms appear in forensic databases. This lets them track each weapon’s movement and usage. Still, the repeated appearance of state-issued weapons in crimes raises serious concerns about internal leaks or corruption.
Crime in the region has surged. Since April 2025, CCTV footage has captured two men with assault rifles targeting mobile money shops and wholesale businesses in Kira and Mukono. In November, attackers shot dead Assistant Superintendent Emmanuel Bagenda, the Officer-in-Charge of Ntawo Police Post.
Rusoke previously stated that intelligence points to organized criminal gangs behind these attacks. He added that security forces are still hunting suspects who escaped recent raids. In mid-2025, similar incidents occurred in Namugongo and Goma divisions, where thugs armed with machetes and knives terrorized neighborhoods.
The affected areas—Nabweru, Kyaliwajjala, Sonde, Seeta, and Namanve—are home to hundreds of middle- and working-class residents. Many commute daily to jobs in Kampala or local industrial zones. For them, the rise in violence isn’t just news—it’s a direct threat to safety and livelihood.
As the probe continues, the armed robbery suspect’s explosive claim puts Uganda’s elite security units under rare public scrutiny. If verified, it could reveal a dangerous breach within the country’s counter-terrorism apparatus—one that turns state weapons against the very citizens they’re meant to protect.
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