A former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) member who later worked as a security informer has accused Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga of arranging alleged fake bomb attacks at Munyonyo Martyrs Basilica and Kalerwe Market in Kampala in 2025.
Hamza Lyavala, 33, made the allegations while testifying before the General Court Martial in Makindye. He told the court that Byaruhanga recruited him and Hadil Walusansa to plan and carry out the alleged operations.
According to Lyavala, the former intelligence officer wanted to attract public attention and impress his superiors following disagreements with senior security officials.
The claims were presented as part of the ongoing court proceedings.Lyavala told the court that he had previously been a member of the ADF before leaving the group and joining a breakaway organisation known as the Pan Ugandan Liberation Initiative (PULI). He said he later renounced terrorism, received a government pardon and began working as a security informer.
During that period, he reportedly worked under different intelligence officers before being assigned to Byaruhanga.The witness alleged that Byaruhanga frequently complained about being ignored by his superiors and said his efforts had not resulted in a promotion. Lyavala claimed that these frustrations influenced the officer’s alleged plans to organise operations in busy urban areas.
He further told the court that Byaruhanga wanted the proposed operations to attract media coverage and public attention. The witness also alleged that the officer discussed involving two women, Summaya Byaruhanga and Azatu Sawuya, in planned suicide missions.Lyavala gave details of the alleged operation at Munyonyo Martyrs Basilica, saying he, Walusansa and Byaruhanga held meetings at Growers Hotel in Namulanda to discuss the plan.
According to his testimony, explosive devices were delivered ahead of the planned operation, which was scheduled for June 3, 2025, during the annual Martyrs Day celebrations.The celebrations attract large crowds of pilgrims and other visitors to the shrine, making the alleged operation particularly serious.Lyavala claimed that security officers were deployed around the shrine as preparations for the operation continued.
He said his responsibility was to monitor the area and alert the officers when Summaya approached on a motorcycle.The witness told the court that Summaya later died in an explosion. He said he suspected that another person had detonated the device, although the circumstances he described remain part of the evidence being examined by the court.
He also testified about a second alleged operation targeting Kalerwe Market, one of Kampala’s busy commercial areas.According to Lyavala, Azatu was sent to conduct reconnaissance before travelling towards the market on June 21, 2025.
He alleged that security officers tracked her movements during the operation.The witness said he later went to the scene and found Azatu dead. He further accused Byaruhanga of ordering her killing, an allegation that remains subject to the court’s consideration of the evidence.The testimony has added to the proceedings against Byaruhanga, who has denied the charges brought against him.
The court is expected to assess Lyavala’s account alongside other evidence presented in the case.Lyavala and Walusansa were convicted of murder on October 5 after pleading guilty to their roles in the incidents.
Their convictions form part of the wider case surrounding the deaths and the alleged operations.The proceedings are continuing as the General Court Martial examines the allegations, the witness statements and other evidence relating to the incidents at Munyonyo and Kalerwe.
