MITYANA- Two men in Mityana were on Friday, June 21, shot dead by security guards attached to Mityana Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Isha Ntumwa.
The deceased were identified as Lasto Ssenjanja, 17, and Vincent Kasozi, 22.
According to Police, the guards also critically injured a one Ms Harriet Namatta, who is still nursing gunshot wounds at Mityana General Hospital.
The incident occurred at Gema Trading Centre in Bulera Sub-county, where Mr Ntumwa had gone to intervene in a witchcraft allegation that claimed the life of the area councillor, Mr Edward Ndyanabo, leading to disagreements between the two families.
Sources revealed that the, as the guards were trying to rescue eight family members of the late Glaozio Magala from an angry mob that was attempting to lynch them but accidentally shot two people.
“The family of the late Magala and that of Byaruhanga had misunderstandings and when Mr Ntumwa arrived, he found a group of people at the meeting venue.
Residents became unruly and a group of youths moved closer to his vehicle where some members of Magala family had sought refuge and attempted to attack them. In the process, the guards opened fire, killing two people,” said Mr Moses Musoke, one of the eyewitnesses.
Mr Ntumwa said that members of the late Magala’s family went to his office complaining that members of Mr Byaruhanga’s family had accused them of practising witchcraft and were threatening to harm them. He, therefore, decided to intervene.
“I decided to go to the village with police and my security guards to have a reconciliation meeting between the two warring families. On arrival, the group that had gathered at the meeting venue tried to pull eight members of Magala’s family out of my vehicle,” he said.
He adds that the mob hurled stones at his guards and in the process of self-defence, security guards fired bullets which accidentally killed two people.
The Wamala regional police spokesperson Mr Norbert Ochom said they recovered five bullets when they visited the scene and a case of murder has been reported at Kibuto Police post.
“The district police commander and our homicide team visited the scene and recovered five bullet cartridges and also recorded statements from some witnesses,” he confirmed.
