Army probe murder of UPDF commander
Army spokesperson, Brig Flavia Byekwaso
What you need to know:
For about four years, Maj Mwesigye had not been deployed until last year when he was sent to Jinja as a trainer, a role he executed until his death on Sunday night.
The army and police yesterday said they were still looking for the killers of Maj Noel Mwesigye, the former commander of the Special Forces Commando Unit, who was shot dead in Luweero on Sunday night.
The army spokesperson, Brig Flavia Byekwaso, said the killers shot Maj Mwesigye as he entered his home in Kikyusa, Luweero District and took away his pistol.
“There is nothing much so far, but we are still investigating,” she said.
According to sources, the deceased first fought with the killers at the gate to his house before they shot him in the leg and stomach.
Residents took him to Holy Cross Health Centre III in Kikyusa Town but he died on arrival.
Maj Mwesigye, who was based at Jinja Junior Staff College as a trainer, had served as a presidential guard for more than 20 years.
He was later promoted from Corporal to Second Lieutenant and became the commander of the Special Forces Commandos unit at the rank of Major.
In 2014, he was sent to Somalia to command the Special Forces troops against Al-Shabaab militants but in 2015, he and other senior Uganda People’s Defence Force officers were suspended from Somalia after al-Shabaab attacked a Ugandan base in Janale and killed 19 soldiers.
The attack on Janale was one of the worst attacks by al-Shabaab on the Ugandan troops. The militants said the attack was in commemoration of the killing of their leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was gunned down by American troops in 2014.
For about four years, Maj Mwesigye had not been deployed until last year when he was sent to Jinja as a trainer, a role he executed until his death on Sunday night.
Sources say the assailants waylaid him near his gate and had a motorcycle which they rode away from the scene. They also robbed shops in the neighbourhood.
After the incident, they stole Shs450, 000 from a local coffee trader identified as Rajab Sseruma in Kyatura Village, Kikyusa Town Council.
“Sseruma was put at gunpoint and asked to hand over the money by two men who were riding on a motorcycle shortly after the shooting,” Mr Abubaker Ssematimba, the Kikyusa Sub-county chairperson, said.
