The nation is yet to come to terms of the passing of Deputy IGP Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech who breathed his last on Saturday morning at his home in Buwate, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.
Preliminary medical observation suggest that Gen. Lokech could have died of blood clot following an injury he sustained after falling off a chair about two weeks ago.
The UPDF establishment confirmed that Mr Lokech who last appeared in the public at the end of July to brief the nation after major breakthrough in Gen. Edward Katumba’s failed assassination, asked for leave to nurse a fracture.
UPDF publicist Brig. Flavia Byekwaso told the media that it is true Lokech was working from home for close to two weeks.
Whereas the IGP Martin Okoth Ochola has asked the director general of health services to do a postmortem to ascertain what caused the untimely death of the high-ranking UPDF soldier, an official in police who wished to remain unnamed said that his boss (Lokech) had fallen off a plastic chair at his house in Kira and has been nursing a fracture amid intensified pain.
“He had his doctors from Medipal facility that kept checking on him. He was injected with a painkiller because he complained of too much pain,” an official said.
But the battle-hardened combatant, christened ‘Lion of Mogadishu’ for his exceptional tactics in defeating terrorists in Somalia, carried on his work while receiving treatment from home.
For example, the deceased was coordinating an intercontinental event slated for today at Kololo which is to be attended by delegates from across the world.
This website also gathered that Mr Lokech had taken his second dose of Covid-19 vaccine a few weeks ago.
Whereas Lokech took the steroid injection to lessen the pain, it had instead intensified.
“But he remained under the watch of doctors. His case was not serious,” said an official in police.
But on Friday night, this website has established that Lokech fainted and gained consciousness.
“He passed out for a short time,” a separate source said.
And on Saturday morning he entered a bathroom, he complained to his wife that he couldn’t breathe properly and in a short time he died.
Brig. Byekwaso said, Lokech died in presence of a medical person who observed that the UPDF general had lost breath.
The news of Lokech’s death coincided with the funeral service of yet another dead UPDF General, Pecos Kutesa who died from India last week.
Gen. Pecos will be laid to rest tomorrow Sunday in Western Uganda.
Brig. Byekwaso said that UPDF is coordinating with its sister security services on managing the funeral arrangements of Gen. Lokech.
May the Soul of the Departed UPDF Officers Rest in Peace.