A Senior Four student in Agago District is nursing injuries after being hit by a stray bullet, fired by police officers on Tuesday morning, during demonstrations.
The victim has been identified as Lawrence Kidega, a student of Gombe Secondary School in Butambala District who was hit on the left arm while washing clothes in their home compound in Forest Cell in Patongo Town Council.
The incident happened about 200 meters from Patongo Police Station where police officers fired live bullets to disperse a crowd of protestors including hundreds of Boda Boda operators who stormed the police station Tuesday morning demanding the release of their colleague who had been arrested and detained for five days.
It is reported that some of the protestors burnt tires and blocked roads between the Police station and Patongo Town Council while others pelted stones prompting police to fire live bullets in the air.
The suspect in custody was reportedly arrested for riding his motorcycle past 5 pm, violating guidelines issued by President Museveni. However, the demonstrators accused the Police of arbitrary arrests and extortion of money from Boda Boda riders in the guise of implementing Covid-19 guidelines in Patongo Town Council.
According to Andrew Onyuk the Agago Resident District Commissioner, a stray bullet hit the victim shortly after police fired bullets to disperse the demonstrators.
The victim was rushed to Patongo Health Center III for medical treatment.
By press time, the demonstrators who camped at the Police station were still locked in a meeting with security officers.
