Death toll from riots rises to 50 

Soldiers remove fire barricades from the road during the riots that erupted on Wednesday last week following the arrest of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi. PHOTO/MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI

What you need to know:

  • A total of 116 cases involving riots were registered in the country between November 18 and 20.
  • Katwe Police Station registered the highest number of deaths with seven cases followed by Kampala Central Police Station and Old Kampala Station with six deaths each

The death toll from last week’s protests over the arrest of presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has risen to 50, according to an internal police report which this publication has seen.
 The report indicates that 45 males, including two children, and five females died.

 “Kampala Metropolitan Police North had 19, Kampala Metropolitan Police South had 17, Kampala Metropolitan Police East with seven, Greater Masaka had two, Savannah had two, Katonga had two and Kiira region had one,” the Criminal Investigations Department report reads in part.
 The statistics are different from those the police spokesman, Mr Fred Enanga, announced yesterday.
 
 Mr Enanga put the death toll at 45, but added that if more fatalities were reported, he would update the country.
  The protests started after security agencies arrested Bobi Wine for allegedly violating guidelines on the prevention of the spread of coronavirus during his campaign in Luuka District last Wednesday.
 Police registered 116 scenes of protests with the leading three offences being incitement to violence with 40 cases, 25 cases of death by shooting and four of murder by shooting. 

 The report also shows 15 cases of participating in a riot.
 Katwe Police Station registered the highest number of deaths with seven cases followed by Kampala Central Police Station and Old Kampala Station with six deaths each. Wandegeya and Nansana policing areas had five deaths each.
 Both Mukono, Kira Division policing areas had three deaths each. These were followed by Kawempe, Entebbe, Nsangi with each reporting two deaths. Seeta, Wakiso, Butambala, Mpigi, Luweero, Wobulenzi, Kinon-Lwengo, Rakai and Jinja each registered one death case.

 The report puts the number of suspects arrested in the demonstrations to 836. It says 362 of these were charged in court and 330 were remanded while 32 were released on court bail and one was released on police bond.
A police officer was also hit by a stray bullet but he was recovering in hospital by yesterday.
In the Central Police Station Kampala area John Kitobe, a support staff at Uganda Management Institute, and three others were shot dead as security forces battled protesters in the capital city. 
 
Ibrahim Mutaasa, a suspect, was shot dead when a soldier pushing the deceased to enter a cell and the gun, whose safe chamber had not been locked, released a bullet which killed the suspect. Police arrested the soldier for murder.
Another person Willy Kayondo, 26, was hit by a stray bullet as soldiers were quelling the protests at Kubbiri Roundabout.
Sophie Kusasira, a vendor at Kalerwe B Market was hit by a stray bullet and died in hospital.

At Namulanda, Baker Kato Lubwama, a taxi driver, was shot in the head and died in Kisubi Hospital. The police report indicates that he was hit by a stray bullet.
Another unidentified protester was shot dead at Nsangi on allegations that he was destroying property.
In Busoga, Martin Owekikye, 52, was hit by a stray bullet and injured while at his home. He died at Bugembe Health Centre IV.


Statistics
A total of 116 cases involving riots were registered in the country between November 18 and 20.
Eight hundred thirty six suspects were arrested, of whom 362 suspects were charged, including Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Robert, alias Bobi Wine, 330 were remanded, 32 released on court bail while one was released on police bond (Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat) and 633 in police custody, pending court. Fifty people died due to the incidences.