Business at Nabweru Chief Magistrates Court in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District is at standstill after unknown attackers broke into the premises and made away with 48 million shillings cash and sensitive documents.

We have established that the thugs could have attacked the place between 3 and 4 a.m. At the time of the break-in, the court was manned by one person identified as Ismael Kamya, deployed with only a club.

Kamya told police in his statement this morning that the attackers came in a group, estimated to have between five to 10 people. Dressed in dark clothing and hoodies, the men jumped over the wire mesh which constitutes the court’s fence to gain access into the premises. His statement shows that the group had machetes which put him at a disadvantage.

“They took me hostage and ordered me to take them around different offices. When they finished their mission, they tied me up and then took off,” Kamya told the police.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango says preliminary investigations indicate that the thugs broke into the three magistrates’ chambers, the office of the resident state attorney, the court registry and the cash office.

It is alleged that the attackers were targeting sensitive land case files currently being handled by the Court.

At 9.20am, a prisons bus arrived with prisoners only to be turned away by police officers who were manning the scene of crime. Also among affected persons are lawyers and their clients who had come to have their cases heard.

Nabweru South Zone Chairperson, Dorothy Nankya described the incident as unfortunate, saying the attack was intended to block administration of justice.

However, Solomon Muyita, the judiciary spokesperson, says the destruction of files cannot stop proceedings because the court is digitalized and now has backups for all its files.