By Ebi Kesiena
Armed police and soldiers patrolled the Ugandan capital on Wednesday, as security was stepped up following twin suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State that killed three people in the heart of Kampala.
Ugandans have been urged to remain on high alert after Tuesday’s attacks, the latest in a string of bombings targeting the East African nation.
Checkpoints have been set up on several roads in Kampala, while the areas where the two bombings occurred have been closed off to motorists as teams of investigators scour the blast sites.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Luke Owoyesigyire told AFP that security has been stepped up in and around Kampala to ensure the public is safe from any possible dangers.
“We encourage the public to remain on high alert as threats are real and high,” he said.
Tuesday’s attacks occurred within minutes of each other, with two suicide bombers on motorbikes disguised as local “boda boda” motorcycle taxi drivers detonating a device near parliament, while a third attacker targeted a checkpoint near the central police station.
Several dozen people were injured, many of them police.
“I did not go to work in the market today because of the attacks yesterday,” the 31-year-old mother of two Sylvia Nabukeera, who works in Kampala’s commercial hub of Kikuubo, told AFP.
“I have temporarily suspended work to take care of my kids until it is safe to go to work,” she added.
