Police in Uganda have opened investigations into a shooting incident in which a boda boda rider was allegedly shot dead by a police officer during the National Cleaning Day exercise in Ndejje Kanaaba.
The incident happened on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at around 7:30 a.m. in Ndejje Kanaaba, an area under Katwe Police Division.
According to preliminary information released by the Uganda Police Force, officers from Ndejje Police Station had been deployed to the area to provide security during the community cleaning exercise.
During the exercise, a boda boda rider allegedly attempted to force his way through an area that had been secured by the police. The circumstances that followed remain unclear and are now the subject of a police investigation.
Police said the rider was allegedly shot by Police Constable Allan Okello, an officer attached to Ndejje Police Station.
The shooting resulted in the death of the boda boda rider, turning what was meant to be a community exercise into a tragic incident.
Police Constable Okello has since been arrested and is being held as investigations continue. Authorities are seeking to establish what exactly happened at the scene and whether the officer followed the required procedures before discharging his firearm.
Investigators are also expected to establish what led to the confrontation between the rider and the officers, why the rider attempted to pass through the secured area and the circumstances under which the firearm was used.
The Uganda Police Force said the investigation will help establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and determine the appropriate action based on the findings.
The incident is likely to raise fresh questions about the use of firearms by security officers during public activities and the measures put in place to prevent unnecessary loss of life during community exercises
