Four UPDF soldiers charged with murder of Benon Nsimenta

Kasese, Uganda |  PROSSY NANSUBUGA |  Four UPDF officers have been charged with murder of Benon Nsimenta, a lay reader and soon to be ordained Reverend Deacon, who was shot dead at Hima village on Wednesday, June 26th.

Reports indicate that Nsimenta, was riding to his garden on a motorcycle together with his wife Allen in Karusandara when they met soldiers at Karungibati on the Hima-Kasese road.

According to his wife, her husband was shot dead by security personnel are guarding the Hima-Kasese highway which is under construction.

The officers had stopped them on count of the president’s directives on limited boda boda use in the fight against COVID-19. Nsimenta was riding with his wife yet two people aren’t supposed to board one ride. They weren’t also wearing masks. 

However when stopped by the officers, they reportedly declined the call which prompted the soldiers to shoot at them, thus killing Nsimenta.

After a sitting of the Mountain Division Court Martial in Kasese on Monday, UPDF Spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire tweeted that the four officers had been charged with murder.

The army officers charged were identified as Abraham Lokwap, Joel Atim, Talent Akampulira and Jackson Nyero.

Nsimenta is one of eight Ugandans that have lost their lives at the hands of security personnel in the last 90 days of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.