Uganda: Churches take radical steps against terrorist attacks


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Shortly after Uganda’s deputy speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga revealed that Parliament and churches were the main targets of the terrorists attack local authorities in the the country have banned night prayers.

Kadaga’s statement came a few days after the last Sunday night bomb blasts in Kampala which killed 76 people and left many nursing serious injuries.

“We received terrorist threats to attack Parliament and churches several months ago although the security was still investigating the threats. Parliament has beefed up security” Kadaga said.

According to the speaker of Parliament, the bomb attack on Kampala has taught them “a big lesson to tighten security everywhere” and to be on alert to any terrorist threats.

Since her revelation, most churches have also tightened security. “We have bought metal detectors and placed them at the entrance of our churches,” said pastor Steven Obbo of Deliverance church in the outskirts of Kampala.

He said that they can not risk to allow people entering the churches without checking them because terrorists might use the laxity to enter and explode bombs.

Meanwhile ever since the bombs exploded in Kampala, bar and night club operators have said that they no longer get customers especially at night.

“We are no longer doing business, people no longer drink as they used to do.They are scared of bombs.”

A week ago, an Ethiopian restaurant and a rugby club in the capital Kampala were hit by suicide bombings killing and injuring several football fans who had gathered to watch the World Cup final.

Meanwhile, Somali Islamist group, Al-Shabab has said that it was behind the deadly attacks. The extremist group had threatened to attack Uganda and Burundi for donating peacekeepers to Somalia after AU peacekeepers largely made up of soldiers from Uganda and Burundi carried out a retaliatory attack on al-Shabab in October, 2009.

The retaliatory attack had taken place after the Islamist group attacked Mogadishu airport, in an attempt to kill Somalia’s UN-backed president Mr. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

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