Kampala, Uganda – A fresh wave of tension has gripped Uganda’s security apparatus following the arrest of several officers at the Directorate of Internal Security (DIS) headquarters in Mbuya, in connection with the ongoing investigation into two suspected female suicide bombers killed by UPDF personnel in Kampala earlier this month.
The arrests, confirmed by senior intelligence sources, are believed to be tied to operational lapses and possible intelligence failures that may have contributed to the deadly encounter between the suspects and military forces.
“The matter is highly sensitive. Some officers are being questioned about how such high-risk individuals moved undetected within the city.”
The two female suspects were reportedly tracked by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) units after being flagged as potential suicide bombers by a joint security operation.
They were intercepted and fatally shot, reportedly after refusing to surrender during a standoff in a crowded Kampala neighborhood.
Initial reports suggest they were carrying explosive devices, and their deaths prevented what could have been a devastating terrorist attack in a densely populated area. However, the operation has since opened up serious questions about how close the threat came to succeeding, and how internal security systems may have failed to act in time.
The move to detain DIS officers signals what security analysts are calling an internal purge, possibly intended to expose negligence or infiltration within Uganda’s intelligence networks.
“You don’t arrest your own unless there’s something very serious. This goes beyond routine errors,” said Dr. Fred Mukasa, a Kampala-based security policy expert.
The arrests have sparked speculation about deep-rooted gaps in counter-terrorism coordination, especially among DIS, ISO (Internal Security Organisation), and military intelligence wings. Some critics allege growing internal wars between agencies that may be affecting operational efficiency.
Though authorities have released limited official information, security insiders claim the women were radicalized operatives, potentially linked to remnants of the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) network, an Islamist militant group with historical ties to eastern DRC and a growing online recruitment drive targeting vulnerable youth.
“We’re seeing more unconventional actors, women, minors, tech-savvy operatives. That makes detection harder,” a counter-terror officer noted.
Uganda has in recent years suffered a series of deadly attacks blamed on ADF-aligned cells, prompting a crackdown on both urban and rural terror suspects. But this latest incident and the arrests of DIS insiders cast a shadow over the effectiveness and cohesion of the country’s intelligence ecosystem.
The Mbuya DIS headquarters, typically a fortress of secrecy, has now become a flashpoint in Uganda’s broader counter-terrorism narrative.
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