Locals in Kisoro District were on Wednesday left in shock after a top UPDF soldier attached to Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) commited suicide in his house.
The deceased, Captain Claver Bagabe-OWC commander was in charge of Bufumbira South Constituency and Kisoro Municipality, a post deployed to him by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Bagabe was found clad in full military uniform hanging on a rope on Wednesday evening at 8:00 pm at his home in Nyakabingo village, Chahi sub-county.
Eyewitnesses claim that Bagabe was isolated and acted unusual moments before the incident. He was at home alone and had closed himself inside his house with all doors and windows locked.
Family members say when they returned home late that night, Bagabe had closed the door, and efforts to get in were futile. At about 8pm, they hired a welder to open the door, only to discover the deceased hanging dead to a rope.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson says police are yet to establish the circumstances under which the deceased committed suicide.
Captain Bagabe is the second OWC Coordinator in Uganda to commit suicide under unclear circumstances. In February 2022, Captain Binasia Olaka, the OWC coordinator in Lira City East Division, Lira District shot himself dead with the AK47 assigned to him by the army, at his home in Dokolo town council.
Olaka left a suicide note which police retrieved but did not divulge the contents.