Three more people were killed today in Kasese in what now appears to be escalating unrest that began last month in the Rwenzori sub region.

A fortnight ago, 2 people were killed, one of them a police officer, Charles Kasimba who was hacked to death during an attack at Kidodo Police Post. The cultural leader of Rwenzururu kingdom Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere says up to four of his guards have been killed and another four detained by people who claimed to security operatives.

Below is the police statement on today’s attacks

Today, Sunday, April 03, 2016, at around 1430 pm, a team from the Police Flying Squad that is actively involved in hunting down suspects behind the attacks on Kidodo Police Post, killing a police officer and stealing a gun, while on routine patrol and surveillance at Katadooba village, located 1 km away from the Rwenzururu Kingdom Palace, sighted Kule Julius, the alleged Commander of the attackers on the Police Post, while in possession of the suspected stolen gun.

The suspect upon sighting them escaped and returned to the palace with six other members of the traditional Royal Guards. The police team while returning to the station in Kasese town, fell into an ambush of another group of suspected traditional royal guards, but managed to force their way through up to the police station.

A few moments later, several gunshots were heard from the palace where it was later established to be an attack by the traditional against the UPDF Royal guards deployed at the palace, and whom they attempted to disarm in vain after he fought his way out of the palace with his gun.

The highly charged and violent traditional royal guards tried to pursue him in vain, and in the process met two other UPDF Royal guards deployed at the palace, being transported back to the palace on a motorcycle locally known as “bodaboda”. They instantly shot the motorcycle rider dead, and hacked the two UPDF officers to death.

Both the police and military responded to the area and effectively secured it including the perimeter to the palace.

They thereafter rescued the UPDF Royal guard that had escaped from the palace and transported the three bodies of the deceased persons to Kilembe Hospital mortuary for further post mortem analysis as inquiries to establish the motive behind the attacks continue.

The situation has been brought under control with no other incidents of violence. More details will be released progressively.