Manhunt launched after Police officer killed in Mukono armed robbery response
Preliminary findings indicate that Bagenda had attempted to block the suspects by riding ahead of them and was shot as he fell into an open trench, likely while trying to take cover.
Armed assailants shot and killed officer-in-charge of Ntawo Police post Emmanuel Bagenda (Pictured) during an operation in Mukono on November 23, 2025, night. (Courtesy Photo)
MUKONO - Police say they have launched a manhunt for armed assailants who shot and killed officer-in-charge of Ntawo Police post Emmanuel Bagenda during an operation in Mukono on November 23, 2025, night.
Confirming the incident at Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma said the attackers will be tracked down.
“This was a deliberate attack on our officers responding to a robbery report,” Kituuma said.
He added that: “ASP Bagenda and a constable attempted to intercept a suspicious motorcycle believed to be carrying armed criminals, and the suspects opened fire. We are pursuing them and we shall bring them to justice.”
The case, registered under MKN CRB 1708/2025, occurred on Sunday at about 10:25pm along Ntawo–Nyenje Road in Ntawo Cell, Mukono central division.
Earlier, the Mukono district Police commander had received intelligence about an armed robbery in Kiwala Village and instructed all station commanders to secure exit and entry points, indicating that the suspects were using motorcycles.
Responding to the directive, Bagenda and Jackson Kiyingi, 53, mounted a patrol on a Police motorcycle. While moving along Ntawo–Nyenje Road, they became suspicious of two men riding a motorcycle with dusty jackets.
Kiyingi alerted his commander, prompting Bagenda to accelerate and block the path of the riders.
As the officers attempted to stop them, the suspects opened fire. Kiyingi, who had jumped off the motorcycle to engage the men, was shot first and collapsed instantly. 
Confirming the incident at Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma said the attackers will be tracked down. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
Bagenda tried to take cover but was also shot before disappearing from immediate view.
Officers at Ntawo Police Post heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene.
They found Kiyingi injured and evacuated him to Mukono General Hospital before transferring him to Nakasero Hospital, where he is now reported to be out of danger.
The search for continued through the night until his body was discovered lying face down in an open trench near the scene.
He had been shot in the head and was found in a pool of blood, dressed in his police jacket, grey T-shirt and black trousers, with one shoe missing.
At the scene, officers recovered Bagenda’s walkie-talkie, the police motorcycle and several spent cartridges.
The firearm assigned to Kiyingi was missing and is believed to have been taken by the attackers.
A combined team from Mukono Division, including homicide detectives, the SOCO unit, operations personnel and the K9 squad, conducted a spiral search and documented the area before conveying the officer’s body to City Mortuary Mulago for postmortem.
Preliminary findings indicate that Bagenda had attempted to block the suspects by riding ahead of them and was shot as he fell into an open trench, likely while trying to take cover.
Four cartridges were recovered during the night operation, and the suspects are believed to have fled along darkened routes after grabbing the officer’s gun.
Investigators are now re-examining the scene in daylight, checking whether any nearby private CCTV cameras recorded the attackers’ movements and recording witness statements to build leads on the motorcycle and its riders. Intelligence teams are also picking cluster information and analysing call data.