Stray bullet hits student in Agago as police battles demonstrators

Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A senior four student in Agago district has been hit by a stray bullet fired by police officers on Tuesday morning.

Lawrence Kidega, a student of Gombe Secondary School in Butambala district was reportedly hit on the left arm while washing clothes in their home compound in Forest Cell in Patongo town council.

The incident happened about 200 meters from Patongo police station where police officers fired live bullets to disperse a crowd of protestors.

Hundreds of boda boda operators stormed the police station on Tuesday morning demanding the release of their colleague who had been arrested and detained for five days. Some of the protesters burnt tires and blocked roads between the police station and Patongo town council while others pelted stones prompting police to fire live bullets in the air.

The suspect in custody was reportedly arrested for riding his motorcycle past 5 pm, violating guidelines issued by President Museveni.

The demonstrators accused the police of arbitrary arrests and extortion of money from boda boda riders in the guise of implementing Covid-19 guidelines in Patongo town council.

Andrew Onyuk, Agago Resident District Commissioner confirmed that a stray bullet hit the victim shortly after police fired bullets to disperse the demonstrators.

Onyuk says the victim whose injury is not severe was rushed to Patongo health center III for medical treatment.

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