Seven people have been shot and injured by military police at the Kasubi Tombs.

The shooting occurred at about 10:30 a.m. when news broke that President Yoweri Museveni planned to visit the scene of a devastating fire that destroyed the main mausoleum at the tombs.

Prior to that, the clean up and reconstruction exercise had been progressing well. More than 2,000 people had gathered to see the ruins of the main tomb, known in Luganda as Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, and they joined the effort to recover any remaining artifacts and sections of the large grass thatched roof that was burned in the fire.

Several tanks of water were brought in and the now exposed floor of the tomb was being washed.

It was in the midst of this that chaos erupted at the gate. Several young men, believed to be part of the youth group Nkoba za Mbogo, raised the fallen gate and placed large logs across it to prevent an oncoming contingent of military police from accessing the site. A few in the group also threw stones at the military police, narrowly missing them.

During the fracas, several military police armed with pistols shot into the crowd. Chaos ensued.

The Kampala Woman Member of Parliament, Nabilah Sempala, who had joined in the clean up exercise, narrowly escaped a bullet. Simon Birungi, a man standing next to her, was not that lucky. He was shot in the back.

Several other people were wounded by the shooting. The confirmed number of those shot was seven by midday today. It is believed the number could be hired.

Two other people were identified as victims of the shooting. They are Mukiibi Serunjogi, a journalist with CBS radio, who was shot in the left knee, and Robert Katongole, who was shot in the right hand.

Hundreds of people fled for their lives and are now barred from re-entering the grounds. Among them is Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s brother, Prince Daudi Wasajja. The military police, who previously had maintained a distance from the tombs, are now in charge of the area and only a small group, about 150 people, remains.

The Mityana South MP, Kaddu Mukasa, was caught in the chaos. He says the situation in Kasubi is being mishandled by the military and the police. According to him there is no justifiable reason for why the crowd was shot at.

The Youth MP for Central Uganda, Mariam Nalubega, is also angered by the military police action. She says that given the circumstances and the fact that tensions were already running high, the security forces should have acted with calm.

The Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, has arrived at the Kasubi Tombs to inspect the scene. With his protection, the Rubaga Division LC3 chairman, Peter Sematimba, who had been denied entrance, has entered the tombs.