A 30-year-old man was shot dead in Manafwa District, Eastern Uganda, during a fight between Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officials and suspected smugglers on Thursday, May 9.
The man, Brian Mukoni, was a peasant farmer from Butingu Village, Nabitsikhi Sub-county. He died from bullet wounds after being shot during the chaos.
The trouble began when URA officials stopped a suspected smuggler at Busumbu, along the Mbale–Lwakhakha road. The URA team, made up of Nixon Twinamasiko, Moreen Waseme, Zakia Kalungi, and another officer, was travelling in a white Toyota Vitz. They had stopped someone who was allegedly smuggling wheat flour from Kenya.
After the arrest, a group of suspected smugglers on motorcycles began to chase the URA team. When the officials reached Buwasibi Cell, a mob gathered and started throwing stones at the URA vehicle. Things quickly got out of control.
One URA officer, Moreen Waseme, managed to run to Butiru Police Station for safety. Another officer, Twinamasiko, was found unconscious on the roadside. He had been badly beaten by the angry crowd. The URA car was burned by the mob.
Police and army teams were called in to calm the situation. During the operation, Brian Mukoni was shot while reportedly trying to run away. He later died from his injuries. His body was taken to Mbale City Mortuary for an autopsy.
Two URA officers were also badly hurt and are now being treated at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
Some residents believe that Mukoni was innocent and was not involved in the smuggling or violence. “He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Fred Bwayo, a local.
Police say they are still investigating who fired the gun and who was responsible for the burning of the URA vehicle. They are also looking into the full events that led to Mukoni’s death.