Family Sues UPDF Officers Over Fatal Shooting of 23-Year-Old Son

The family of a 23-year-old man allegedly shot dead by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers in Buloba has dragged the army officers to the High Court in Wakiso, seeking compensation and accountability over an alleged extrajudicial killing.

Eremigio Mwesigwa Masagazi, father of the deceased Ivan Ssentongo, filed the civil suit accusing Captain Frank Nyakairu and his guard, Private Simon Opolot, of unlawfully taking his son’s life during an alleged break-in incident on January 21, 2025.

Masagazi is seeking Shs 500 million in damages for what he terms the mental, emotional, and psychological anguish caused by the killing.

In an affidavit before the court, Masagazi says he was informed via a phone call that his son had been fatally shot by UPDF soldiers.

“I received a shocking phone call informing me that my son had been shot to death by UPDF soldiers and that they had dispersed whoever was at the scene,” the statement reads.

When he arrived, the area had been cordoned off by army personnel, and his son’s lifeless body lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by uniformed officers.

The family, through the human rights organization Chapter Four Uganda, argues that the soldiers bypassed lawful arrest and prosecution processes, instead resorting to lethal force. They contend that this amounted to a violation of Ssentongo’s right to a fair hearing, due process, and ultimately, the right to life as enshrined under Articles 20, 21, 22, 28, and 44 of Uganda’s Constitution.

According to the court filings, after the shooting, UPDF soldiers documented the scene and later summoned a police patrol to transport the body to the city mortuary.

Masagazi says attempts to obtain information from police were unsuccessful, as he was told the matter was under military jurisdiction and no further details were offered.

Notably, court records also show that Capt Nyakairu had filed a theft complaint against Ssentongo at Buloba Police Station on January 20, a day before the fatal shooting. The family’s legal team argues that this background decides to shoot even more troubling, suggesting premeditation rather than a spontaneous reaction in the line of duty.

In their petition, the lawyers assert that the shooting was high-handed, unlawful, and amounted to an arbitrary deprivation of life.

They are asking the court to issue a declaration condemning the actions of the soldiers and award aggravated damages to the family.