A Special Police Constable attached to Hoima Central Police station has been shot dead by angry residents after mistaking him for a thug. Identified as Taremwa, the constable was first shot with an arrow before he was hacked to death by angry residents of KPele village Kyabisagazi parish Kigorobya Sub County Hoima district.
This happened during a joint operation by Police, Uganda People's Defense Forces and other sister agencies against illegal immigrants in Kpele village in the wee hours of this morning.
George Emoot, the Commandant of the Field Force Unit in Hoima district who was also shot in the right leg says the operation was prompted by information received by the Hoima District Security Committee that a group of foreigners had invaded the area causing a security threat.
He however says angry residents charged at the officers when they mistook them for thugs. When police and military personnel opened fire in the air, residents also picked bows and arrows and fought back hitting Taremwa in the process before disarming and hacking him several times to death.
Emooti who survived is currently being treated at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital. He explains that the operation started at 1:30am when they set off from Hoima town and caught residents unawares prompting them to charge at security operatives.
UPDF soldiers they were with on the operation withdrew and tactically left them in the area during the attack. Emooti also reveals that he had refused to go for the operation but the Hoima District Police Commander, Twaha Etima forced him to.
However, in a twist of events, an anonymous police source says the soldiers were on an eviction exercise on a contested piece of land.
