A security guard in Rukungiri district attached to Millennium Security Company has been arrested for shooting a 22-year-old man dead.
According to a statement by Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Mate on March 7th, 2024, the suspect, identified as Nicolass Ainembabazi, is being accused of the murder of Kenneth Masanyu, a resident of Kyobugombe Cell, Kamahuri Parish, Rugarama North Sub-County in Ntungamo District.
“Rukungiri central police station was alerted by the area manager of Millennium Security Company, Elia Tumwesigye. The crime scene was promptly visited, examined, and documented, with statements recorded. The suspect has been arrested for further questioning,” Mate stated.
Mate said that the security company allegedly shot the 22-year-old, who alleged he had lost his way to where he was going and ended up on the plantation where this guard was guarding.
“When he told him to sit down, the victim remained standing. Unfortunately, he was shot and died instantly, something that I want to condemn. I know the circumstances under which security personnel can shoot, but they are not supposed to shoot and kill,” he added.
The recent incidents of security guard shootings in Uganda have raised concerns and prompted responses from law enforcement agencies to address the underlying issues.
This year, on February 4th, a security guard from Sarasini Security Company, known as Egwang Ambrose, injured three people at a bar called Nomads Bar and Grill in the area of Mbunga Soya Kampala.
Reports from the police showed that the manager asked Egwang of the bar not to work after noticing that he was drunk, a decision that did not please him.
The police have called upon security companies and the district police commissioners always to make the supervision of security guards paramount to avoid such tragedies.