Emotions Run High as Witnesses Recount Denovo Bakery Shooting

Emotions ran high at the International Crimes Division of the High Court on Monday as prosecution witnesses Angella Nantongo and Harriet Kajumba recounted the tragic events surrounding the 2017 shooting at Denovo Bakery in Kalerwe, a Kampala suburb, where three people, including police officers, lost their lives.

The incident is linked to the same group of six accused persons facing charges related to the attempted murder of Works and Transport Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, the killing of his daughter Brenda Nantongo Katumba, and his driver Haruna Kayondo. Prosecutors allege that the same firearm was used to commit multiple murders across Kampala City, including the attack at Denovo Bakery and the shooting of Gen. Katumba Wamala's convoy.

The proceedings unfolded before a panel of four judges—Lady Justice Susan Okalany, Dr. Winifred Nabisinde, Wejuli Wabwire, and Vincent Wagona. Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Lino Anguzu and Senior State Attorney Marion Ben Bella led the prosecution. Angella Nantongo, a 30-year-old German and Chinese language student at Das Berliner Language Centre, testified that in 2017, she worked as a cashier at Denovo Bakery in Kabojja, Wakiso District. 

She described a system where cashiers collected money from bakery outlets, accompanied by drivers and police escorts. On September 16, 2017, Nantongo and her colleagues, including the late driver Ssengonzi and police officers Mubiru and Karungi, set out to collect money from branches across Kampala. After visiting several outlets, they arrived late at the Kalerwe branch, which was unusually locked. Upon opening, cashier Winnie Namirembe and Officer Mubiru went inside to collect money when gunshots erupted.

Nantongo tearfully recounted how bullets hit their Noah van, injuring the occupants. Mubiru pushed Namirembe away, threw the money bag toward Nantongo, and collapsed. The driver, Ssengonzi, was also critically injured. Officer Karungi attempted to defend them but struggled with his firearm before pushing Nantongo under the vehicle for safety. As Nantongo lay under the vehicle, blood from Karungi fell onto her. She heard the attackers speaking in an unfamiliar language before uttering, "Kimara, Tugende" ("It’s enough, let’s go"). 

After the assailants fled, rescuers arrived. Nantongo, injured and in shock, was asked to provide a contact number and called her father, a transport officer at Denovo. She described how she stepped on Karungi’s body while being rescued, prompting her to scream. Nantongo was later rushed to Mulago Hospital with Namirembe. She noted that weekend collections from Kampala branches would total about 800 million shillings, and weekday collections about 650–700 million shillings.

At the hospital, Nantongo was handed a bandage to wrap her injured leg, an action questioned by the judges for its unusual nature. She concluded her testimony, stating she did not know any of the accused before the dock. Harriet Kajumba, the widow of slain police officer Karungi, also testified, breaking down as she recounted receiving news of her husband's death. She rushed to Mulago Hospital, where she identified her husband by his face, but was not permitted to view the rest of his body. Karungi was later buried in Nakifuma, Mukono District.

Kajumba shared that she and her husband had eight surviving children. The judges condoled with her, and defense lawyers did not cross-examine her. After Nantongo’s testimony, the judges, led by Justice Okalany, commended her bravery and resilience in reliving the traumatic events. They also inquired whether she had received psychiatric support, to which she responded affirmatively.

The case was adjourned to Tuesday for further hearing.

Background to the case 

The accused—Muhammad Kagugube, Sirimani Kisambira, Abdullah Aziz Ramadhan, Dunka, Kamada Walusimbi, Habib Ramadhan Marjan, and Huzaifah Wampa—were committed for trial in January 2022 on 30 charges, including terrorism, 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and financing terrorism activities related to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). 

They are also linked to the June 1, 2021, attack on Gen. Katumba Wamala, which claimed the lives of his daughter and driver. Additionally, they face charges for the May 2019 Cheap General Hardware robbery and multiple killings at various locations, including the murder of Major Muhammad Kiggundu in 2016 and the late police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi’s bodyguard in 2017.

Prosecution evidence includes the recovery of weapons, motorcycles, sim cards, Arabic language audio recordings, and manuals on making explosives. Ballistic analysis confirmed that guns seized from the accused were used in earlier assassinations.