Kampala blasts that led to extraordinary renditions

The July 11, 2010, Kampala suicide bombings were carried out against crowds watching a screening of Fifa World Cup Final match at two locations in Ugandan city.

The attacks left 74 dead and 70 injured. Al Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Ugandan support for Amisom.

On July 11, 2010, football fans had gathered at a popular restaurant in Kampala called the Ethiopian Village. Many were foreigners out to watch a riveting World Cup final game between Spain and Holland. At around 11pm, an explosion ripped through the restaurant and minutes later, 15 people lay dead.

At another site in Kampala, a giant screen erected outside the Kyadondo Rugby Clubhouse screened the same game. At 11:18pm, an explosion ripped through the field at the 90th minute of the game. It was followed seconds later by a second explosion. There were horrific screams and the magnitude of the attack was laid bare by 49 bodies that lay in the field later.

Both explosions at the two venues were later tied to suicide bombers and suspected to be the work of Al Shabaab. At the rugby field, an unexploded vest was later discovered. Seventy-four people perished in the bombings.

Uganda Police Force Inspector General Kale Kayihura told the media then that “the information we have indicates the people who have attacked the Ethiopian Village were probably targeting expatriates.”

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KENYANS ARRESTED

The Uganda Government believed the plot and execution was carried out from Kenya.

Consequently, seven Kenyans were arrested and rendered to Uganda authorities in controversial circumstances.

The Standard efforts to establish from the Interior Ministry the circumstances of their transfer to Uganda and status of their trial have been largely met with silence.

Our efforts to obtain a comment from Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and PS Mutea Iringo since March this year have been met with silence.

The Ministry’s Communications Director Mwenda Njoka promised several times to revert to us on the status of the rendered Kenyans since March. In his email yesterday after reminders he wrote: “Haven’t gotten feedback from my guys yet.”