By Sekaggya Seka Moses
At least three police officers have been arrested over the murder of a boda boda rider.
The officers from Ntungamo are being investigated over their role in the fatal shooting of the commercial motorcyclist aged 26.
Identified as Hassan Mwijuke from Gapfurizo village in Nyarubuye Sub-county of Kisoro District, the suspect was accused engaging in motorcycle theft.
The suspects are Police Constable (PC) Muhammad Okedi, and Corporals Patson Niyonzima and Gerald Abisinguza. Okedi, Niyonzima and Abisinguza have been arrested and detained at Kisoro Central Police Station.
Police in Kisoro District say investigations into the circumstances that led to Mwijuke’s shooting are ongoing.
Kigezi regional police spokesperson Elly Maate says the shooting happened on Thursday March 12, at about 9am in Gasave Village in Nyakinama Sub-county when Mwijuke was reportedly shot dead by PC Okedi from Ntungamo Police Station.
It is said that Mwijuke had reportedly stolen a red Bajaj Boxer motorcycle registration number UGA 313U from Rwenturagara Cell in Mbarara City on March 6, 2026, after lying the wife of his former employer Benson Nambazira that her husband had sent him for the motorcycle.
After his former employer’s wife handed him the keys, it is said that Mwijuke disappeared and was unreachable via his known mobile phone numbers.
When the husband returned home, he was shocked to learn that Mwijuke had told lies to steal his motorcycle. He proceeded to report a case of motorcycle theft at Kakika Police Station in Mbarara City, according to Maate.
The motorcycle was tracked to a journey in Ntungamo hours after it was stolen, and Mwijuke himself was reportedly tracked in Kisoro. Maate further says that police officers saw Mwijuke on the Kisoro-Bunagana road as he tried to negotiate with a potential passenger.
It is said that it was at this point that police officers tried to arrest Mwijuke, only for him to get onto the motorcycle and attempt to flee.
This reportedly prompted police officers to fire warning shots in the air, only for Mwijuke to refuse to surrender. It is said that a police officer decided to shoot Mwijuke. Investigating officers recovered at least six cartridges from the scene of crime.
A number of murder cases involving security officers have been reported in recent months, including one in which a police officer shot a UPDF officer dead over Shs2000, as reported.
