Uganda Police are investigating the tragic death of an 11-year-old boy, Navas Mugisa, who was struck by a stray bullet during a confrontation between officers and residents in Kyakapere village, Kikuube district.
The incident unfolded on Monday evening as police intervened to rescue a woman, Deborah Bero, who was being detained by locals accusing her of witchcraft.
The residents alleged Bero was responsible for a recent unexplained death in the community, and tensions quickly escalated when officers arrived to free her from the crowd.
As police attempted to defuse the situation, the residents responded with hostility, throwing stones and injuring a police driver. In response, officers fired warning shots to disperse the mob, during which Mugisa was tragically hit by a stray bullet.
The young boy was rushed to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Julius Hakiza, the police spokesperson for the Albertine Region, confirmed the incident and condemned the mob’s actions, stating that the officers had fired in self-defense under attack.
Reginal Okumu, the LC II chairperson for Buhuka Parish, appealed to residents to refrain from mob justice, emphasizing that if the crowd had not attacked the police, this tragic outcome could have been avoided.
