Police have launched an investigation into a Saturday afternoon shooting in Bukwo District that left one person dead after he allegedly attacked officers executing an arrest operation.

According to Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke, the incident occurred on August 8, 2026, at around 1:00 p.m. in Chemusebe Village, Kapchemoken Parish, Brim Sub-County.

Preliminary reports indicate that officers from Giriki Police Station in Kween District had traveled to Bukwo to effect an arrest. They coordinated with personnel from Riwo Sub-County Police Station and were joined by an officer familiar with the area before proceeding to the scene.

Upon arrival at Chemusebe Trading Centre, the suspect reportedly spotted the officers, abandoned a motorcycle he was washing by a stream, and fled. Officers subsequently impounded the motorcycle.

Rusoke explained that while officers were engaging local leaders and relatives who were claiming the impounded motorcycle, a man only identified as Mutakan approached the security team armed with a panga and stones.

Despite efforts by his mother and bystanders to restrain him, Mutakan allegedly struck one officer with a stone and continued advancing aggressively. Warning shots were fired to deter the attack, but Mutakan continued to advance, prompting officers to shoot him. He was rushed to Bukwo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation," Rusoke said. "Four persons, including the officers involved in the operation, are currently being questioned. The investigation will establish the circumstances under which the firearms were discharged and whether the force used was lawful, necessary, and proportionate."

Rusoke strongly cautioned members of the public against attacking, confronting, or attempting to disarm police officers performing lawful duties, warning that such actions put lives at serious risk and often result in avoidable fatalities.
The Bukwo incident comes amid a troubling pattern of violent confrontations between local communities and law enforcement officers across the country. In April 2025, Police Constable Suleiman Chemonges was killed by a mob while deployed to provide security at a burial in Ibanda District.

In a similar incident on May 18, 2025, Police Constable John Bosco Naturinda was killed in Tecik Village, Ngai Sub-County, Oyam District. An arrest operation escalated into mob violence when community members attempted to disarm the officers, resulting in the death of a civilian and leaving two other police officers severely injured before Naturinda was lynched.

Addressing these recurring clashes, Rusoke urged citizens to remain calm and comply with lawful police instructions, stressing that grievances should be raised through established legal and administrative channels rather than taking the law into their own hands. He added that the Uganda Police Force remains committed to investigating allegations of officer misconduct while ensuring the safety of its personnel in the field.