Boda boda rider fatally shot during National Cleaning Day enforcement

Kampala, Uganda | URN | A 38-year-old boda boda rider has been shot dead in Kanaaba, Ndejje, in Makindye Ssabagabo, during enforcement of restrictions on movement for the second National Cleaning Day. The deceased has been identified as Ronald Kizito Jjuuko.

Witnesses said Jjuuko was shot shortly after 7:00 am as police began enforcing the directive requiring members of the public to participate in the three-hour cleaning exercise. According to witnesses, Jjuuko was riding towards his home when he encountered police officers deployed to enforce the restrictions. They said he attempted to flee after being stopped, prompting one of the officers to shoot him.

Hassan Ssezi, a resident of Kanaaba-Ndejje, said officers were positioned at a corner and Jjuuko, who was riding at high speed, appeared not to have seen them until he had passed their position. Ssezi alleged that the officer who fired the shot was drunk and said there had been no confrontation or exchange of words before the shooting. “The officer was visibly drunk. There was no confrontation or exchange of words at all.

The man was riding at speed, visibly rushing to go back home, probably after working at night. The officers were not even visible based on the area where they were standing. He had passed them a few metres when the officer shot him from behind, and he knocked the road barricade,” Ssezi said.

Ssezi said Jjuuko appeared to have worked through the night and was attempting to reach home before the cleaning exercise restrictions took effect. Residents also accused officers attached to Ndejje Police Post of habitual drunkenness and irrational conduct, citing what they described as previous incidents.

The officer suspected of firing the shot has been identified by colleagues as Police Constable Ogwal. Witnesses said fellow officers immediately removed him from the scene and detained him at Ndejje Police Post as residents gathered after hearing the gunshots.

The body of Jjuuko was conveyed to the City Mortuary at Mulago for a postmortem examination. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawala confirmed the shooting and said the officer had been arrested as investigations continue. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, including whether the use of force was justified and whether the officer followed established police procedures.

The incident occurred hours after police warned that tough measures would be taken against people who violated restrictions during the second National Cleaning Day. In a statement issued on Friday, Police Spokesperson ACP Rusoke Kituuma urged members of the public to cooperate with officers deployed to enforce the directive and avoid confrontations.

“Members of the public are strongly advised to cooperate with security personnel deployed to enforce the directive and to avoid confrontations, arguments or any form of altercation. Any form of confrontation, arguments or any form of altercation will result in the use of force and arrests,” Kituuma warned.

Unlike the first National Cleaning Day held on July 26, when police mainly stopped motorists and only a few cases of officers reportedly forcing civilians to clean were recorded, security agencies had warned ahead of Saturday’s exercise that enforcement would be stricter. Police said officers were legally mandated to maintain public order and protect life and property, but emphasised that any use of force must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.

Police said the use of force must be guided by the law, established police operational procedures and the circumstances prevailing at the time. The shooting is likely to raise fresh questions about the enforcement of the National Cleaning Day directive, particularly the extent to which security agencies can use force against people found violating the movement restrictions.

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