Bomb blasts at the Kyadondo Rugby Club at Lugogo and Ethiopian Village last night killed dozens of people during the World Cup Finals. I was at a popular bar in town watching the match, and only heard about the blasts in the final moments of the game. Fat Boyz bar in Kisementi closed immediately upon receiving information about the blasts, and other bars in the area emptied at an extraordinary pace.
Local TV footage from the scene at the rugby club showed chairs, bodies and body parts strewn about. One image showed a decapitated head. Those injured at Ethiopian Village in Kabalagala were taken to International Hospital Kampala (IHK). The latest reports say 37 were admitted to IHK and 5 have already died. Injured persons from the rugby club were taken to Mulago Hospital, which reports say was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of patients.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, though some speculate that Al Shabaab, a militant Somali group, could be behind the attacks, possibly with on-the-ground support from the Allied Defence Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group. Al Shabaab has warned that there would be consequences for Uganda’s role in AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia). If Al Shabaab is in fact behind the attacks, it is likely they will claim responsibility soon.
These are the worst terrorist attacks the country has faced. See the BBC coverage here, Independent blog coverage here, Monitor Coverage here, and Al Jazeera here.
More updates to come.
Melina Raquel Platas 