Uganda: Civilian shot dead as UPDF soldiers attached to minister open fire in Amuria

A civilian was shot dead, and at least five people sustained injuries late Thursday after soldiers attached to Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo opened fire during a gathering in eastern Uganda, local authorities confirmed on Friday.

The shooting occurred around 9 pm in a small trading centre in Orungo County, Amuria District, during an incident involving supporters of Gen Odongo and rival Teddy Anyuk Osire, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary flag bearer for the area.

The deceased was identified by authorities as Saidi Eteru.

“There are soldiers who came here and found people having a celebration, and from nowhere, they started shooting at the people,” Amuria Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Paul Eseru told journalists.

“Unfortunately, we have lost one person, and many were injured. We responded as security, and all the injured have been taken to Amuria Hospital. The body is already in the mortuary. It is a very unfortunate incident,” he said.

Eseru did not name or provide an exact number of soldiers involved but said security authorities had confirmed their involvement and that they were still in the area.

“We have indeed confirmed that the soldiers shot at people, and they are even still here,” the RDC later told NBS Television.

Asked who the soldiers were attached to, the RDC responded: “The soldiers are attached to Gen Jeje Odongo. They are his security detail, and it is something we decided to pick up as a regional security team.”

Gen Odongo, the incumbent Orungo County MP, is running as an independent after failing to secure the NRM flag during the party’s July 2025 primaries, which he said he missed while out of the country. In late 2025, He told NTV that this would be his final five-year term in Parliament.

Incumbent Orungo County MP Gen Odongo, defying the NRM party position on candidature, is contesting as an independent after losing the party flag in the July primaries, which he said he missed while he was away. Late last year, the veteran politician told NTV Uganda that it would be his final five-year term in Parliament.

More of an inter-agency coordination

The RDC strongly condemned the violence, describing it as unacceptable in the politically sensitive Teso sub-region.

“We highly condemn this kind of political violence. It is not really progressive, especially here in Teso,” Eseru said.

He added that security agencies were moving to reinforce deployment in the area and escalate the matter to higher authorities.

“We have addressed the people, but we want to beef up security and also escalate the matter to higher authorities so that they can give us more guidance, manpower, and security in this place. You can see people are frightened when they see such incidents,” he said.

Eseru noted that investigations would involve multiple security agencies due to the involvement of the army.

“This is going to be more of an inter-agency coordination because the incident involves the UPDF,” he said.

The minister and UPDF had yet to comment on the incident by press time Friday afternoon.

Uganda is set to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on January 15, 2026, with security conduct during campaigns under increasing scrutiny amid repeated New Year calls for peaceful polls.