Residents of Katwe – K’abatooro Town Council in Kasese district have appealed to government to increase deployment in the area so as to combat any further attacks by insurgents.
Their calls come shortly after unknown people suspected to be attached to the Allied Democratic Forces-ADF attacked a tourist vehicle killing two tourists and their guide along the Katwe – Katunguru road near Lake Nyamunuka in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The incident happened last evening at around 6pm according to eyewitnesses.
Modesto Kasereka, one of the initial persons to approach the scene said he found a vehicle, a land cruiser registration number UBF 303C gutted with fire at around 6:20 pm with one white man and a black man adjacent to the vehicle seemingly already dead.
Kasereka who rides a boda- boda in Katwe said he was engulfed in fear although he was able to call police and inform them about the heinous incident.
He now wants government to tarmac the Katwe-Katunguru road to reduce the vulnerability of its road users.
However, Oggi Thembo, a fish monger at Katwe fish landing site says it is important for the security to enhance deployment within the area, arguing that the current manpower is inadequate to provide security for the area that is surrounded by the national park.
Indeed, John Bosco Kananura, the Katwe – K’abatooro Town Council Chairperson says people are scared following the Tuesday evening incident.
Kananura also added that the attack on tourists is likely to have a big negative impact on the economy of Katwe – K’abatooro Town Council since it gets a lot of its resources from tourism.
The Rwenzori East Regional Police Spokesperson, SP Nelson Tumushime said police responded to the incident and are doing their best to ensure that investigations yield success.
He also revealed that police have also increased deployments within towns and along the high ways especially the Kasese-Mbarara and Kasese – Bwera roads.
ENDS