The nation is gripped in shock following the assassination of State Minister for Gender and Labour, Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola.
The Minister was gunned down by one of his bodyguards who also killed himself a few minutes.
DETAILS:
At about 8:30am on Tuesday, May 2, a soldier armed with AK47 emerged from Engola’s residence located on Ring-Road in Kyanja, a Kampala suburb.
The soldier was on a shooting spree, firing live ammunition in air and on ground.
According to onlookers who saw the killer, the first round of the ammo, got finished at about 200 meters from the crime scene.
“He loaded another magazine as he shouted salary, salary, salary,” said John Mugerwa, a wielder who operates fabrication business on Ring-Road.
Another eyewitness a lady that runs a makeshift food joint said she had finished picking firewood near the Minister’s residence when someone alerted them to hide from a soldier who just killed his boss.
This website has established the killer-soldier identified as Sabiiti Wilson guarded the deceased’s home.
He also wounded his immediate supervisor a Lieutenant who is admitted to Mulago Hospital in critical condition.
Onlookers say, Sabiiti opened fire on the ADC and as the Minister got out of the car, he shot him dead.
The soldier spoke English.
After loading the second magazine, the UPDF soldier again fired aimlessly in air and on ground injuring a lady and also killing a dog.
He continued to a nearest town center at Jubilee Hospital, scattering all the onlookers.
All traders had abandoned their workstations only a salon was open. As he entered the salon, he said has no problem with civilians.
“His only issue is government. He then said let me die here,” said an eyewitness.
He entered the saloon and shot himself in the head.
This website has learnt that Private Wilson Sabiiti had just been deployed at the Minister’s residence for at least one month.
Other witnesses said, as he walked he shouted salary and narrated how he demanded shs 4 million, yet he has a pregnant wife and his children are not in school.
“He complained that the Minister should at least share with them (bodyguards) since they have more money,” said an eyewitness interviewed by this website.
Soldiers’ salaries are paid by the Ministry of Defence.
The body of Minister Engola had been conveyed to Mulago for postmortem.
The soldier’s body is yet to be picked from the saloon.
