Uganda – Explosion At Restaurant Kills 1, Injures 7
Police said teams are investigating the cause of the Kampala explosion to see if it was “intentional or not.” The UK and France had recently updated their Uganda travel advisory, citing a “very likely” terror threat.
Ugandan police said late Saturday that one person died and seven were injured in a “serious blast” at a restaurant in the north of the capital city Kampala.
Investigators were working to find out the “true circumstances” behind the explosion, police said.
What do we know about the blast?
Uganda police spokesman Fred Enanga said on Twitter that the blast occurred at an eating point in Kampala’s Kawempe division.
“One person has been fatally wounded and seven others rushed to Mulago National Referral hospital, with serious injuries,” said Enanga.
“The scene has been cordoned off, and our joint task teams from the bomb squad called to thoroughly document the scene, to help determine whether the explosion arose out of an intentional act or not.”
Police said the blast at 9 p.m. local time (1800 UTC) hit the eatery located at a normally busy area in Kampala.
Authorities urged the public to remain calm and comply with the country’s 7 p.m. curfew, which has been imposed to stem a COVID-19 outbreak.
What is the security situation in Uganda?
On October 8, the so-called “Islamic State” group claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a police post in Kawempe.
Later on, Ugandan police confirmed a minor incident had occurred, although they did not report injuries or explosions.
The UK and France earlier this month raised their traveling advice for Uganda, telling visitors to be especially vigilant in crowded areas.
“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Uganda. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners,” said the updated UK travel advice.
In 2010, two Kampala bombings by Somalia’s Al-Shabaab killed 76 football fans. It came after Uganda sent troops to Somalia as part of an African Union force to tackle insurgency.
