UPDF officer held over slain Masindi hawker

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Police in Masindi district are holding Aggrey Byamugisha, a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer at the rank of corporal, on allegations of shooting dead a hawker.

The deceased has been identified only as Mugisha, aged 32. The incident happened in the wee hours of Saturday at around 2am, in Kijura North Cell, Central Division of Masindi Municipality.

SP Pensive Tukasiima, the district police commander (DPC) for Masindi, told New Vision Online that a boda-boda operator reported the case at around 2am.

SP Pensive Tukasiima, the district police commander (DPC) for Masindi speaking to a reporter. (Photo by Innocent Atuganyira)

"We immediately rushed to the scene and recovered the lifeless body of Mugisha at the scene but the suspect had already fled. Through the intelligence, we managed to arrest the suspect and recovered the gun," she further added.

The DPC said that through their intelligence, the suspect was arrested this morning at around 10am in one of the bars in Kijura Central Cell wearing a UPDF sweater and green gumboots.

"The suspect and gun are currently in our custody," she assured the public of justice for the slain civilian, and the suspect will be brought to book. Meanwhile, police are yet to trace Mugisha's bereaved family.

Julius Allan Hakiza, the Albertine Regional Police Spokesperson, said the case of murder by shooting was registered at Masindi Central Police Station and is being investigated under CRB 373/2025.

James Munaku, the LC1 Chairperson for Kijura Central, stressed that the reasons behind the incident haven't been established. "We can’t tell the exact reason behind the incident, but Mugisha has been hawking plastics in this area," he said.

Munaku asked the security to carry out community policing and enact strict laws prohibiting security personnel from moving with guns, mostly during night hours.

Efforts to get a comment from Sunday Geoffrey, the Public Relations Officer for Artillery Division, were futile by press time since his known number was unavailable.