Residents Kasese and those at the DRC border are living in fear after suspected rebels ambushed a truck killing two of its occupants on Friday morning. The alleged rebels torched a box body truck Reg. No. UBN 624L in Katholhu village along the Kasese-Mpondwe border highway, barely a kilometre from Rusese barracks.

The truck was transporting onions to the Mpondwe market in neighbouring DRC. The dead have been identified as Matovu Joseph, 31, a resident of Kyengera town council in Wakiso district, and Biira Nzoghera,43, a resident of Nyakahya village Mpondwe Lhubiriha town council in Kasese district.

The other two occupants who survived with bullet wounds are Arsen Munezero,28, from Kisoro district, and Biira Edreda 37, a resident of Rugendabara town council in Kasese district. Moses Tsutsu, the LC III chairperson of Isango sub-county says the community that does business and farming across the border has abandoned its work fearing that the suspected rebels could waylay them.

Moreen Biira, a resident of Bwera town says the attack in neighboring Kitholu has evoked the fresh memories of the ADF rebel June attack on Mpondwe Lubiriha secondary school where more than 40 people mainly students died. She asked security bosses to reinforce UPDF deployment in their area to carry out more patrols.

Peter Kakule, the LCIII chairperson of Nyakiyumbu sub-county wants the government to intensify security operations along the border arguing that suspected rebels from DR. Congo have routinely used the porous border to cause mayhem in Uganda.

Lt. Joe Walusimbi, the Kasese Resident District Commissioner, says that they have heightened the security apparatus in the district to ensure the community is safe.