Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Business came to a standstill in Fort Portal City on Wednesday after suspected thieves abandoned a car. Residents feared the car might contain a bomb. The vehicle, an Ipsum registration number UAT 063R was abandoned by three men along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo Road. 

According to eyewitnesses, at around 12 pm, the unidentified men parked the car, disembarked, and fled leaving onlookers suspicious. Shop owners along the road alerted the police claiming that there could be a bomb in the car. Police led by the Rwenzori West Regional Police Commander Norman Musinga later arrived and cordoned off the street. Those with shops were ordered to close and leave the place. 

Traffic along the road was also temporarily diverted and Police asked members of the public to keep a safe distance. The Police were later joined by the UPDF Bomb squad from the Mountain Brigade headquartered at Muhooti Barracks,who opened the car and retrieved three bags. When the bags were checked, they found clothes. The car was later towed to Fort Portal Central Police Station as investigations continue. Vincent Twesige the Rwenzori West Police Spokesperson said that the car could have been stolen. 

However, when police were searching the car, a man identified as Ronald Kirungi showed up and told police that the occupants of the same vehicle had robbed 600,000 Shillings from him. Kirungi who owns a shop in Kasusu trading center in Fort Portal Central Divison, says that he was approached by the three men who were asking for directions to Virika Stage. 

He explains that they asked if they could offer him a lift since he was going in the same direction. According to Kirungi, when they reached Maguru, a few meters from Virika Catholic Church, the driver told him to disembark from the car. He later realized that 600,000 Shillings was missing from his pockets.