Father Drags UPDF Soldiers to Court over Fatal Shooting of his Son

A family in Buloba has dragged two soldiers to court for allegedly shooting their 23-year-old son dead over an alleged shop break-in. 

In an application filed before the High Court in Wakiso, Eremigio Mwesigwa Masagazi, a resident of Kalambi Village in Buloba, accuses Captain Frank Nyakairu and his guard, Private Simon Opolot, of unlawfully shooting his son, Ivan Ssentongo, on January 21, 2025.

“I received a shocking phone call informing me that my son had been shot to death by UPDF soldiers and that they had dispersed whoever was at the scene,” reads part of Masagazi’s affidavit. “Upon arrival, I found the scene had been cordoned off by UPDF officers. I was heartbroken to see my son’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood.”

Masagazi is seeking Shs500 million in compensation for what he describes as the mental, emotional anguish and inconvenience caused by what he terms as the extrajudicial killing of his son. According to the application, UPDF soldiers documented the scene and later called a police patrol to transport the body to the city mortuary.

However, Masagazi says when he attempted to seek answers from the police, he was told it was a military-led operation and no explanation was given. Notably, court documents reveal that Captain Nyakairu had reported a theft case against Ssentongo at Buloba Police Station on January 20, just a day before the fatal shooting.

Through Chapter Four Uganda, the family’s lawyers are asking the court to compel the two soldiers to pay aggravated damages for allegedly bypassing lawful procedures, such as arrest and prosecution, in favour of lethal force. 

“The extrajudicial act of shooting and killing the applicant’s son without due process, a fair hearing, or court proceedings violated the deceased’s fundamental right to a fair trial as guaranteed under Articles 20(1), 28(1) & (3), and 44(c) of the Constitution,” the lawyers argue.

They further contend that the shooting was arbitrary, high-handed, illegal, and amounted to an unlawful deprivation of the deceased’s right to life, protected under Articles 20, 21, and 22 of the Constitution. 

The case adds to growing scrutiny of security forces’ conduct during operations and could become a test for the enforcement of constitutional protections on the right to life and fair trial in Uganda.