According to preliminary information obtained by Uganda Radio Network (URN), Corporal Byamugisha, armed with an AK-47 rifle and dressed in civilian clothing, stormed the bar and began shooting indiscriminately.
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UPDF soldiers cleaning Kyehoro landing site in Kikuube during the Tarehe Sita Week. A UPDF soldier has been arrested in Masindi for shooting civilian dead. Photo by Emmanuel Okello.
Police in Masindi are holding Corporal Aggrey Byamugisha, a soldier attached to Masindi Army Barracks, for allegedly shooting and killing a civilian in the early hours of Saturday morning. The deceased, identified only as Mugisha, was a hawker and a resident of Masindi town.
The fatal shooting occurred at around 1:50 a.m. at Brian’s and Trump Bar and Lodge located in Kijura North Cell, Western Ward, Central Division of Masindi Municipality. According to preliminary information obtained by Uganda Radio Network (URN), Corporal Byamugisha, armed with an AK-47 rifle and dressed in civilian clothing, stormed the bar and began shooting indiscriminately.
Mugisha, who was among the patrons, was struck by a bullet and died on the spot. Following the incident, the soldier fled to an unknown location, prompting the bar management to alert police. Officers from Masindi Central Police Station responded swiftly, cordoning off the scene and launching an investigation.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, confirmed that security agencies mounted a pursuit and arrested the suspect within Masindi town. He was subsequently detained at Masindi Central Police Station. Hakiza said police recovered 14 cartridges and one live bullet from the scene, all of which have been submitted for ballistic analysis.
He noted that murder charges have been preferred against the suspect. The body of the deceased was transported to Masindi General Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination. This incident adds to a growing list of fatal shootings involving soldiers. In September 2021, Private Oluka, attached to the UPDF Artillery Division in Masindi, shot and critically injured 45-year-old Stephen Tumwesigye while enforcing COVID-19 curfew regulations.
Tumwesigye was accused of verbally abusing the officers before being shot in the leg. He was later transferred to Bombo Military Hospital for specialized treatment. In October 2023, another UPDF soldier, Private Fahad Seguya from the 13th Battalion in Kikuube District, was arrested for allegedly shooting dead Augustine Akugizibwe during an introduction ceremony. Seguya had fired live bullets to disperse rowdy youths but one of the stray bullets fatally hit Akugizibwe.
