The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have expressed regret over the recent incidents of fatal shootings in West Nile Sub-region involving revenue law enforcers. This follows concerns raised by local leaders and residents regarding the use of excessive force by the enforcers, resulting in several casualties.
In the most recent incident on January 3, UPDF soldiers, deployed by URA, shot four people during an operation to impound a numberless motorcycle in Okollo Town Centre, Madi Okollo District. One of the victims, Moses Acidri, succumbed to his injuries.
During a security meeting on Tuesday, officials from URA and the UPDF acknowledged the tragic events and stated that officers responsible for extrajudicial killings would face personal accountability as such actions are deemed unlawful. Brig Michael Kabango, the UPDF 4th Division Commander, condemned the loss of lives and emphasized the need for responsible conduct by both security forces and the community.
Brig Kabango mentioned a new strategy where enforcement officers will be deployed as a last resort, and all operations will involve collaboration between URA, police, and UPDF officers. He urged continued sensitization of local communities on the law to prevent violent confrontations.
URA’s Assistant Commissioner-in-Charge of Enforcement Operation, Mr. Godson Mwesigye, expressed concern over violence directed at enforcers, revealing that two URA staff members had lost their lives due to such incidents. He condemned both armed forces’ killings and violence by locals, emphasizing the importance of combating smuggling to support national development through collected revenues.
In addition to the recent incident, the report highlighted other tragic events involving URA enforcers, including the death of a 70-year-old woman in November 2023 and the shooting of a resident in Saliamusala in the same month. The historical context included the burning of URA offices in Koboko Town in 2022 and a 2019 incident where a suspected smuggler lost his life during an attempted escape.
