By Ben Musanje
The Uganda Police Force has apologized for the shooting and killing of 33-year-old Meshach Okello, a National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter, during a campaign rally in Iganga Municipality last week.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Diana Kyasiimire, the Acting Director for Human Rights and Legal Services, delivered the apology on Thursday during a joint press conference organized by the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, where she represented the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abbas Byakagaba.
Kyasiimire expressed regret over the incident, stressing that the Police do not intentionally set out to harm citizens while enforcing the law.
“We don’t go out to harm. We go out to enforce the law,” she said. “We regret such cases where lives are lost, and I don’t think it is intended. The case of Iganga is regrettable and we are investigating it because we condemn it. It shouldn’t have happened, and whoever did it is going to face the law.”
The incident occurred during a National Unity Platform campaign activity at the Railway Grounds in Iganga Municipality, where Okello was reportedly shot by security personnel.
He died on Thursday last week and was buried on Sunday in Buyende District. Okello, a Human Resource Management graduate who earned a living selling timber, is survived by six children and three wives.
Pressed on how such incidents could be prevented as campaigns continue, Kyasiimire insisted that the force emphasizes lawful conduct among its officers, attributing the Iganga shooting to what she called “operational mistakes.” “Sometimes officers don’t know how to balance situations,” she explained. “At no point where we expecting someone to shoot. We don’t know why the officer who shot did so. Was he under danger? If someone was throwing a stone, maybe he shouldn’t have responded with a gun.”
She said investigations will establish the motive behind the shooting and guide the disciplinary process.
Kyasiimire also appealed to the public to comply with security guidance during campaign activities to avoid confrontations.
“Let’s keep within the law,” she urged. “If we say, ‘let’s pass here,’ please allow us to do our work. When people block the roads, officers sometimes get overwhelmed, which can lead to mistakes we do not expect.”
Uganda heads to the polls on January 15, 2026, in a presidential race featuring eight contenders, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni and opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine.
Recent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters have raised concerns among human rights groups and election observers about the potential for election-related violence.
During the event, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) was also invited to comment on how documented incidents often circulated widely on social media shape public perception of the electoral environment. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
