The minister of state for labor, employment and industrial relations in Uganda was on Tuesday morning shot dead by one of his military bodyguards as he was entering his official vehicle to go to work.
The Uganda Police while sharing preliminary information about the killing of Minister Col (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola said the deceased was gunned down at 8:00 am in the Kyanja suburb of Kampala.
The shooting was done by one of the minister’s bodyguards who also fired several shots at close range,” Uganda Police Spokesman Fred Enanga said. “The shooter then fled the scene to the trading center at Kyanja Ring Road where he entered a salon and shot himself.”
The police mouthpiece said the investigations were in the early stages.
“We have dispatched crime scene experts who will use advanced technology to determine what exactly the cause of the murder was,” Enanga said.
Eyewitnesses said the UPDF soldier complained about non-payment of his wages and mistreatment before he shot himself.
A photo of the crime scene that has gone viral on social media shows the minister’s body in a blue Kaunda suit lying in a pool of blood next to his official car.
The deceased minister was a parliamentarian representing Oyam North in Northern Uganda and had previously served as the state minister for defense. Before joining politics, he served as the UPDF’s 501 Bridage in Gulu District.