UPDF officer who shot self dead pins Engineering brigade boss in shocking suicidal note

Mpigi, (UG):- Shocking details have emerged on circumstances surrounding the tragic passing of Lt. Amon Ariho, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer who took his own life in Mpigi on January 1, 2025.

Lt Ariho, a resident of Nabbingo who joined the forces in 2013 was serving under the UPDF Engineering Brigade when he stormed the football pitch at Nakirebe in Mpigi at around 2 pm and ordered players and spectators to vacate. He later pulled out a gun from his vehicle and fatally shot himself dead instantly.

Before his untimely demise, the deceased officer penned a suicide note that exposed the emotional turmoil and personal grievances he carried.

In the note, Ariho expressed deep frustrations with the UPDF Engineering Brigade, particularly targeting Maj. Ogwang, accusing him of undermining the work of engineers in the Central Region.

The aggrieved officer wrote about how Maj. Ogwang had displaced skilled engineers and caused chaos within the brigade. Specifically, he mentioned the situation in Butambala District, where a construction project, the Gombe Hospital, was criticized for alleged corruption and mismanagement.

Ariho asked CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to investigate UPDF’s Engineers Brigade. “Dear CDF, I want to thank you for your good leadership, and may God continue to bless you. I hope this message finds you well. Kindly visit the Engineers Brigade and review some matters.”

“Eng Ogwang is the cause of my death. After being deployed to the Engineers Brigade, he dismissed every engineer working within the central region without even allowing them to work with him for a single day. Please review the records of the work done by us before Maj Ogwang’s arrival,” the note reads in part.

According to Ariho, the challenges he faced were compounded by leadership conflicts that made him feel unsupported and isolated within the military.

Though the note painted a bleak picture of Ariho’s final days, it also shed light on his years of service to the nation.

He described visits to various districts, including Mpigi and Butambala, and detailed efforts to contribute to the army’s infrastructure projects, which were, in his view, being sabotaged by corrupt and selfish leadership.

His complaints also extended to the handling of financial debts that the Engineering Brigade had inherited issues that seemingly contributed to his despair.

Gen Muhoozi early Friday said he was “personally hurt by the suicide of our young officer.” “He died because of the corruption Mzee (President Museveni) and I have been talking about for a long time now. His blood will be avenged, and the thieves will pay,” Gen Kainerugaba wrote on X. 

Army Speaks Out

Lt Col Bob Livingstone Bampalana, the commander of the UPDF 5th Battalion in Mbuya, Kampala, yesterday said: “In the afternoon [Wednesday], I was distributing food to my soldiers in Kayirabe. After finishing, I travelled to Mpigi, only to receive a phone call on the way from one of my soldiers saying an officer shot himself. I asked if the officer was part of my unit, but they only said he had arrived in a car, stepped aside, and shot himself.’’

He advised fellow soldiers with problems to seek guidance and counselling from the Force.

“In the UPDF, we have counsellors and professionals available for officers to seek help. It is important that such resources are utilised to prevent such tragedies,’’ he said.

Brig Felix Kulayigye, the UPDF spokesperson, condemned the act, saying they will conduct an investigation to establish the cause of the death by suicide.

“Investigation is a standard operating procedure. When there is an unexplained death, we institute a board of inquiry,’’ he said, adding: “Suicide is only exacerbating your problem, for those of us who believe in the spiritual world. Challenges exist and whoever is facing challenges is never the first, neither will he or she be the last.”

The army spokesperson also said some of the questions directed to the CDF regarding the suicide note could only have been addressed if he were still alive.

Family speaks out

Ariho’s wife who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity yesterday told journalists that the husband seemed okay with no issues and left home at 2 pm with hopes of returning for an afternoon meal.

“He left me here at home at 2 pm when I was preparing lunch and told me he was going to return and eat,” she said. “He dressed impeccably in his army uniform, as usual, but did not wear his army shoes. When I asked about it, he reportedly said the shoes were in the car.”

His brother, who also preferred anonymity, said the deceased complained about conditions at his workplace. He added that on the fateful day, his brother called his parents, informing them that he was going to die on Wednesday evening.

“He called our parents and alerted them about this death and asked them to search for his body at 4 pm. But before they could intervene, he was no more,” he said.

Relatives said the deceased made several phone calls before leaving home, claiming he would never return.