The Uganda Police Force has said that Cpl Allan Ogwal, the officer who is charged with shooting to death a boda boda rider during the National Cleaning Day exercise in Ndejje, is still a serving police officer despite being on remand for murder.
Ogwal is accused of murdering Ronald Kizito Jjuuko, 38, at around 7:30am on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Ndejje-Kanaaba, during enforcement of the 2nd National Cleaning Day exercise when movement was restricted between 7:00am and 10:00am.
According to police, officers from Ndejje Police Post had mounted a roadblock to enforce compliance. The deceased was first stopped by an officer who raised his hand, but Jjuuko reportedly did not stop and continued riding.
Another officer, Cpl Ogwal, who was ahead, also allegedly raised his hand to stop him. The rider instead increased speed and bypassed him, prompting Ogwal to shoot him from behind.The bullet entered from the back and exited through the chest, killing him instantly. He fell off the motorcycle in the middle of the road.
After the shooting, fellow officers whisked Ogwal away and detained him at Ndejje Police Post before transferring him to Katwe Police Division. He was charged and remanded to Luzira Prison.
However, Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke has told Uganda Radio Network-URN that Ogwal wasn’t charged before the Police Disciplinary Committee, and so remains a police officer.
“Any police officer faced with allegations of killing someone is taken straight to criminal courts and until being convicted or released, the disciplinary court can then make its recommendation of dismissing the officer officially with guidance from the top police leadership,” Rusoke said.
He added: “As long as the criminal charges are still ongoing, even if we would like to charge him in our disciplinary court, he is not in our hands, he is currently under Uganda Prison Service and Judiciary,” he said. “But his status is that he is still a police officer.”
Rusoke explained that the Police Disciplinary Court would only dismiss him after conviction and sentencing by the criminal court, with the dismissal recommendation affirmed by Police Authority.
When asked why family members of the victim did not appear during the suspect’s first appearance at Wandegeya Court, Rusoke said they are not witnesses. He said that family are witnesses in this case, the reason why police took the suspect to court and produce the witnesses who are relevant.
On the question of compensation that many Ugandans have been asking about, Rusoke said police cannot commit government funds without guidance from the Attorney General.
“You cannot commit compensation without guidance from the Attorney General, who examines the issue and guides accordingly,” Rusoke clarified. “If the family gets in touch, our legal directorate certainly go through that process, but at the moment I don’t know if they are in touch.”
One of the family members of the deceased, Ssuna Mulema, said they have secured a lawyer who will help them pursue justice and push for compensation, revealing that they earlier met a group of suspected middlemen who offered them Shs15 million to settle the matter, an offer they rejected.
“My brother met them in a hotel in Ndejje, they claimed to be members of the officer’s family, and were offering us 15 million shillings, they later changed to 10 million shillings,” he added. “We had to reject the offer and got a lawyer in Nakaseke and we hope he will handle the matter, because the person who recommended him to us is an area Member of Parliament.”
The deceased left behind five children, the eldest in Senior One, with no means to care for them, as he had been the family’s sole breadwinner. Besides demanding justice, the family is still appealing for support to keep the children in school-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
