Questions linger as 2 more police officers shot dead

As police were searching for clues to lead them to the killers of three of their own, another shock gripped the men in uniform on Thursday evening when two more police officers were shot dead.

The two were identified as Cpl Francis Nsubuga, the officer-in-charge of Nakasozi Police Post in Kiboga District, and Special Police Constable Paul Ddumba, from the same police post.

Earlier on December 7, two police officers; Cpl Alfred Oketch and Police Constable Moses Kigongo, both of Busunju Police Station in Mityana District, were attacked by unknown assailants after they responded to a crime incident in Sebobo Village, Sekanyonyi Sub-county. 

The attackers hacked one of the police officers before disarming him and making off with two guns. 
Five days later, on December 11, Inspector of Police Patrick Nuwagaba, the officer-in-charge of Kakindu Police Station, Mityana District, was also killed by some unknown people, who confronted him as he was returning from a wedding, only a kilometre away from his home.

The mystery surrounding the killings is now raising more questions than answers, with detectives so far unable to answer who are behind the deaths and why.

Ms Racheal Kawala, the Wamala region police spokesperson, said: “The facts indicate that the officers were attacked by a gang of four armed men, dressed in civilian attire while seated at the police post.”
Ms Kawala said the attackers made off with two guns belonging to the victims. 
The incident happened at around 7.30pm.

“A team of police’s Flying Squad Unit (FSU) from the region has been dispatched to the area to team up with the territorial police of Kiboga [District],” she added.

Ms Kawala said the motives of the yet-to-be identified killers remains unknown. In the incident that claimed the life of Inspector of Police Nuwagaba, preliminary police reports had indicated he died in a ‘suspicious’ motor accident, but the postmortem report revealed he had died of gunshot wounds.

“The postmortem report has revealed that IP Nuwagaba was shot dead, it wasn’t an accident. The bullet passed through the nose and then to the forehead,” Ms Kawala said.

By Friday morning, no arrests had been made in connection with the killings of IP Nuwagaba, Cpl Francis Nsubuga and SPC Paul Ddumba.

Previous incidents
Last month, a police officer in Soroti District was shot dead and his gun taken by unknown assailants.
Police released a statement indicating that at around 7pm, the deceased, identified as Sgt Gideon Emuria, was shot dead at Maroon Quarters, while heading for his guard duties at the residence of Justice Alex Makayi Ajiji of Gulu High Court. The assailants escaped from the scene with his gun.

On October 16, 2021, a police officer was killed and two others left with injuries after suspected robbers raided a factory at Kigalama in Kassanda District on Mityana-Mubende road.

On September 8, 2018, former Buyende District Police Commander, Muhammad Kirumira, was fatally shot near his residence in Bulenga, Wakiso District. He was driving home when gunmen, who were reportedly moving on a boda boda, waylaid him and opened fire on him at Bulanga Township. A female friend, Resty Mbabazi, who was also in the car, was also killed.

On March 17, 2017, former police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi, was assassinated as he drove from his home in Kulambiro, Kampala. His driver Constable Godfrey Wambewa and bodyguard Cpl Kenneth Erau were also killed during the same attack.