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One shot dead, five injured in Mityana protests
Mityana District Police Commander Johnbosco Sserunjogi and another police officer near the fire lit by rioters in the town on August 19, 2018. PHOTO BY JESSICA NABUKENYA
MITYANA.
One person has been killed and five others injured as police battled rioters in Mityana Municipality Sunday morning following reports that the health condition of their area MP Francis Zaake is deteriorating.
The deceased has been identified as Mr. Samuel Ssekitoleko, a resident of Myanzi, Kasanda District.
Those injured are; Those injured are; Ms Dorren Assimwe, Ms Jalia Nakamya, Mr Lawrence Jingo, Mr Derrick Ssengomba and Mr Richard Muwonge –all residents of Mityana
According to Yunus Musa, an eye witness, the dead and the injured were among football fans from Singo County, heading to Kyaggwe (Mukono District) for Buganda Kingdom’s Masazza football match.
He says that as they left Mityana Town in a commuter taxi Reg. No.UBA 869C, they made a stopover at Wabigalo and later branched off the highway to pick up a colleague.
A few minutes after leaving the highway, Musa says they saw a police patrol pursuing the commuter taxi they were traveling in and that when the driver tried to increase the speed, the police officers on the patrol car shot the tyre of the taxi prompting the driver to stop.
"We were fifteen people in the taxi and it was well decorated with tree branches – an indication that we were going for a football".
According to Musa, it was after police officers on the patrol shot at the commuter taxi that the terrified occupants realised that one of their colleagues Sam Ssekiziyivu had been shot dead.
“We pleaded with them [police officers] to take the injured to hospital, but declined. It was a Good Samaritan, a commuter taxi driver who was coming from Kampala who took those injured to Mityana hospital,” he said.
Wamala Regional police spokesperson, Edward Ochom, has declined to speak about the shooting, pleading for more time to first consult those who were at the scene.
“I have no comment now. Wait for the appropriate time, we will appropriately respond to that incident,” he said.
However, Mr Emilian Kayima the Uganda Police spokseman confirmed the incident, calling upon all people especially those in Mityana and those plying that route to keep calm and desist from any activities that break the law.
