Details emerge after Yumbe bloody clash over pork row, nine hospitalised

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The leaders in Yumbe district have confirmed that nine people were injured during Tuesday's deadly clash between Muslim protestors and security agencies in Yumbe town.

District officials have reported that the injured include six who sustained gunshot injuries.

Hajji Sulaiman Lubwama Bukya, the Resident District Commissioner for Yumbe district, has reported that there were no fatalities. On Wednesday, Bukya called a press conference to dismiss reports about deaths during the scuffle.

Hajji Kassim Abdallah (centre) being accompanied by the Muslims as they were heading home. (Photo by Adam Gule)

"It's not true that some people died in the incident of yesterday. Nine people got injured and all are receiving treatment," he said during the engagement with the media.

Dr Sarah Oworinawe Kyabagye, the emergency specialist at Yumbe regional referral hospital, confirmed receiving nine people, of whom six are in critical condition.



"We stabilised them, gave them blood transfusion and later took them to the theatre where they were successfully operated on to remove the remains of the bullets", she revealed at the same press conference.

She reported that by Wednesday afternoon, eight of the nine people were stable and responding well to treatment, while one was transferred to Arua regional referral hospital for a specialised CT scan because his injury was on the head.

Background of the incident

The unrest began when information circulated that the security operatives were planning to arrest a prominent Sheikh, Hajji Kassim Abdallah, over a TikTok video he made on October 30, 2025. It's alleged that Abdallah was preaching against the sale of pork in the district. The video, which went viral, sparked different feelings, especially amongst pork sellers and consumers.

The video New Vision accessed carried messages in the Local language stating that " Yumbe is a Muslim district and no one should establish a pork joint in the district"

It continued, "If any Muslim finds a pork joint within town, they should act fast and destroy the point before coming to report to him."

On Monday, November 2, the RDC Bukya held a meeting with Abdallah and his superiors, including the District Khadi and the chairperson Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. Sources at the meeting have reported that Sheikh Abdallah was asked to stop such preaching, which security regarded as hate speech likely to cause violence.

Despite the meeting, Tuesday morning, however, turned chaotic when hundreds of Muslims marched to the office of the RDC to demonstrate against what they termed as plans to arrest Sheikh Abdallah, who also doubles as the Daawa secretary for the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council in Yumbe district.

It's during the demonstration that the security operatives intervened and launched live bullets and tear gas to disperse the protestors.

In the scuffle, several people got injured as a result of gunshots and assaults by the protesters.

The businesses in the town came to a standstill, and many people, especially the non-muslims, lost lots of property to the protestors, who later turned the fight into a religious war, attacking any Christian home and business.

By Wednesday afternoon, calm had been restored in Yumbe town.