EDITOR
The territorial police in Kisoro district are investigating circumstances under which a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier is suspected to have taken his own life by shooting.
The deceased has been identified as Pte. Kwesiga Samuel, 32, attached to Nyanamo detach under the 35th battalion in Kisoro district.
According to police spokesperson for Kigezi Region, ASP Elly Maate, the incident occurred on Monday morning, 18th August 2025, at around 7:00 am in Kigyeyo village, Nyanamo Town Council.
It is reported that the soldier had gone to watch the English Premier League game between Manchester United and Arsenal on Sunday evening, before returning to his unit around 9:00 pm. He reportedly told colleagues that he was tired and needed to rest, after which he entered his unipot and locked himself inside.
On Monday morning, residents and colleagues heard a gunshot from his house. When they tried to call him, there was no response. On peeping through the window, they saw him lying in a pool of blood. The door was broken open, and his body was discovered lifeless.
Police visited and documented the scene together with UPDF officers, recovering a spent cartridge, a rifle, and four magazines. The body was taken to Kisoro Hospital mortuary for postmortem, before being handed over to the UPDF command structure for burial arrangements.
ASP Maate said investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the suspected suicide.
