KAMPALA – Police on Thursday afternoon intercepted 10 suspects as they were reportedly set to rob Centenary Bank branch in Kawempe, a city suburb.
The suspects, who included women, were reportedly armed with an unknown number of guns.
They were arrested following a top off and are now being held at Kawempe Police Station. This is a developing story and more details will follow.
The incident comes hardly a week after armed thugs robbed a hardware shop in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, killing three people in the process.
In February, dfcu Bank closed its branch in Bwaise, Kawempe Division, after armed men raided it and attempted to move away with sacks of money.
The armed men are said to have pounced as the staff closed in the evening, before holding them hostage and assaulting others.
“Several armed men ambushed our staff as they were closing up to leave the branch after work. Unfortunately, during the attack, some of our employees were physically assaulted. The affected staff are currently receiving medical attention and counselling. We are doing everything to ensure they get back to their feet as quickly as possible,” DFCU Bank said in a statement.
“Bwaise branch will remain closed today as investigations are underway. In the meantime, customers are being served at the Makerere and Kawempe branches which are the closest in proximity,” it adds.
According to staff at the branch, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the robbers held the staff hostage from around 5 pm up until 10 pm as they demanded money.
Disappointed that the money was not there, the robbers reportedly beat up some staff, leaving them seriously injured.
Police were not immediately available for comment.
