KISORO, Uganda — Tragedy struck Kisoro District on Sunday evening when a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier reportedly took his own life shortly after watching the English Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.
The deceased, identified as RA 267544 Pte. Samuel Kwesiga, aged 32, was attached to the 35th Battalion. According to preliminary investigations, Kwesiga had spent the evening at Nyanamo Trading Centre, where he joined other locals to watch the highly anticipated football match.
At around 9:00 p.m., he returned to the detach and informed his colleagues that he was tired before proceeding to his unipot, which he locked from the inside. Moments later, gunshots were heard from his unit.
Initially, fellow soldiers suspected an accidental discharge. However, upon peeping through the window, they found Kwesiga lying in a pool of blood. The door was forced open, and he was discovered dead with a gunshot wound, his weapon lying nearby.
Security officials have since cordoned off the scene as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities are also engaging his colleagues and family members to establish possible underlying causes.
The UPDF has not yet issued an official statement on the matter, but senior officers in the region have expressed shock at the loss of one of their own.
Mental health among security forces has increasingly become a concern in Uganda, with experts calling for enhanced psychosocial support systems for soldiers and their families.
