KAMPALA, UGANDA: Police in Kawempe is investigating circumstances under which a UPDF officer shot and killed a civilian today Friday morning at Kawanda Senior Secondary School in Nakisangye Zone, Nabweru Division in Wakiso.
The deceased identified as Ronald Waligo, 38 a resident of Kirinya Bigo Kawanda in Wakiso was allegedly shot by a suspected UPDF driver identified as Ssali Abdul at around 9 am. Both Waligo and Ssali were at the school to pick up their children for the holidays.
According to KMP deputy spokesperson ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, it is alleged that Ssali who was leaving the school premises in a UPDF vehicle Reg No H4DF 1939 after picking one of the students got into a misunderstanding with Waligo, also a parent at the same school who had as well come to pick a student.
“Preliminary investigations into the matter indicate that Abdul was leaving the school when he met a number of motorcycles and cars at the gate. The road being narrow, this prompted him to squeeze on the side where the deceased had parked,” he added.
Owoyesigyire explains that an altercation ensued after the victim complained to the driver about being squeezed in space, something that attracted a big group of riders all condemning the driver of his action.
The driver upon being condemned entered his vehicle and picked an AK47 rifle, the shoot at the victim killing him instantly before speeding off from the crime scene.
“The Police were invited at the scene where they noted that the deceased was shot on left shoulder and the bullet came out from the right shoulder something that killed him instantly at the scene his body was conveyed to city mortuary Mulago for Postmortem, we also recovered a motorcycle Bajaj Boxer UEG 721c that belongs to the deceased at the scene of crime,” he explained.
Police say they identified the vehicle with the help of CCTV cameras.
“We have been able to identify the vehicle with the help of CCTV cameras. The number plate of the said vehicle has been identified by the Police as H4DF 1939,” Owoyesigyire said.
He added that the territorial Police at Kampala Metropolitan will liaise with the UPDF to help identify the driver for statement recording and Prosecution.
Similar cases
Cases of soldiers misusing guns have been on the rise in recent years.
Captain Robert Namara, a UPDF officer, was recently accused of pulling out a gun at singer Bebe Cool in a bar brawl.
Last year, a UPDF officer at the rank of Major suspected to be attached to Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence after he allegedly shot a civilian dead in a bar brawl in Rubaga, Kampala.
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