By KT Reporter
A Counter Terrorism officer attached to the Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VIPPU) is in intensive care at Mulago National Referral Hospital after being attacked and shot outside his duty post in Makindye Division, a suburb of Kampala City. Police Constable Augustine Adiru, was waylaid by unknown assailants around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday outside the residence of his principal, Herbert Mugisha, the Director of Mestil Hotel.
According to reports from Kabalagala Police Division, the attackers struck Adiru from behind, knocking him to the ground before confiscating his firearm. “They used the same pistol to shoot at him several times on his left-hand side and head. His other valued properties, including phones, were also robbed,” a statement by Kabalagala Police indicated.
The injured officer was rescued by passersby who rushed him to Kabalagala Police Station, from where he was later taken to Mulago Hospital in critical condition. One of Adiru’s close friends, who requested anonymity, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that the officer remains life-threatening:
“We are at Mulago Hospital now to check on him. He’s in critical condition. The assailants took his gun after using it to shoot him in the back, head, and right arm. We need your prayers and support.” Adiru had recently been transferred from guarding a top Anti-Corruption Court judge and assigned to his current VIP duty.
Efforts to get a comment from Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango were unsuccessful, as repeated calls went unanswered. In December 2017, former Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, issued a directive banning police officers from moving alone while armed, citing intelligence reports that thugs were targeting security personnel.
Kayihura’s directive followed a string of armed attacks on officers, including the killing of a guard attached to Justice Duncan Gaswagga, whose firearm was also stolen. This latest incident is not isolated. Earlier this year, Police Constable Richard Otwani, attached to Tororo Central Police Station, was ambushed while heading to guard NIRA offices in Tororo.
He was hit on the head with a blunt object and robbed of his gun. According to the 2024 Annual Police Crime Report, 3,116 cases of aggravated robbery were recorded, many involving firearms, knives, hammers, and machetes. These rising cases continue to highlight the increased targeting of armed security personnel by criminals-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
