Tension gripped parts of Kampala on Tuesday evening after gunshots rang out along Queens Way during a major police operation targeting suspected criminal gangs.
Security forces, including police and other agencies, stormed drainage channels believed to be hideouts for urban gangs, triggering panic among nearby residents and motorists as sporadic gunfire echoed through the area.
The operation is part of an intensified two-day crackdown that began on Easter Monday, resulting in the arrest of over 100 suspects linked to a wave of street crime in the city.
Authorities say many of those apprehended are believed to be behind a surge in phone and bag snatching incidents, particularly around the busy Clock Tower junction, a notorious hotspot for such attacks.
During the raids, security operatives recovered a cache of weapons, including knives and pangas, as well as suspected narcotic substances. The suspects were reportedly found hiding in drainage tunnels and makeshift shelters, which police say have increasingly been used as bases for coordinated criminal activity.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as armed officers sealed off sections of the road and flushed out suspects from underground channels. Some residents expressed relief at the crackdown, while others raised concerns about the heavy use of force in densely populated areas.
Police have yet to issue an official statement on whether any injuries or fatalities resulted from the gunfire.
The latest operation underscores growing concern over urban crime in Kampala, with security agencies vowing to sustain pressure on criminal networks operating within the city.
