Two Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers are facing a lawsuit from a family in Buloba over the alleged shooting and killing of their 23-year-old son during a reported shop break-in.
According to a petition filed at the High Court in Wakiso, Eremigio Mwesigwa Masagazi of Kalambi village accuses Captain Frank Nyakairu and Private Simon Opolot of unlawfully killing his son, Ivan Ssentongo, on January 21, 2025.
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In his sworn affidavit, Masagazi recounts receiving a distressing call informing him of his son’s shooting by UPDF soldiers. “When I arrived, the area was sealed off by soldiers. It broke my heart to find my son lying dead in a pool of blood,” he stated.
Masagazi is demanding Shs 500 million in damages, citing mental and emotional trauma from what he calls an extrajudicial killing.
The petition notes that UPDF personnel documented the scene and later called police to transport the body to the city mortuary. However, when Masagazi sought clarification from the police, he was informed that it had been a military-led operation, and no further explanation was given.
Court records also show that Nyakairu had filed a theft complaint against Ssentongo at Buloba Police Station on January 20—just one day before the fatal shooting.
Represented by Chapter Four Uganda, the family’s lawyers argue that the soldiers violated Ssentongo’s constitutional rights by opting for deadly force instead of following due legal procedures such as arrest and trial.
They contend that the act breached his rights to a fair hearing and to life as protected by Articles 20, 21, 22, 28, and 44 of the Ugandan Constitution, and are seeking aggravated damages for what they describe as an unlawful and arbitrary act.
The case highlights growing concerns over the conduct of security forces and may serve as a significant test of the enforcement of constitutional safeguards in Uganda.
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