In a recent development, Gender and Labour Minister Betty Amongi has revealed that the UPDF bodyguard who shot junior Minister Col(Rtd) Charles Engola had only spent one month with him.
KAMPALA, UGANDA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Betty Amongi, the Minister for Gender and Labour, has disclosed that the bodyguard who killed Junior Minister, Col(Rtd) Charles Engola, and then himself, had only spent a month with the minister.
Amongi told journalists at Engola’s home that Pte Sabiiti, who shot and killed the minister before turning the gun on himself, was a new bodyguard. She confirmed that she had last seen Sabiiti with Engola in Namutumba District, where the national Labour Day celebrations were held.
The police are combing for more evidence and interviewing witnesses in the shooting of the State Minister for Labor, Employment, and Industrial Relations.
Minister Amongi’s statements
Ms. Betty Amongi, while speaking to journalists at Col (Rtd) Engola’s home, noted that Sabiiti had joined the minister’s security detail from Bombo a month ago.
She further stated that she had last seen the bodyguard with Col (rtd) Engola at the Namutumba District, where they had Labour Day celebrations.
However, she dismissed the reports of Sabiiti being owed several months of unpaid salary and cautioned the public against speculation.
“He has been working as his bodyguard for a month. He came from Bombo and joined other security guards assigned to the minister from the Ministry of Gender ad Labour,” she said.
Earlier, some eyewitnesses had alleged that the guard complained about non-payment of salary for several months before he shot in the air to warn civilians at Kyanja town.
Early Investigation
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, stated that it was too early to confirm the motive behind the shooting, given that the investigation was still in its early stages. He added that a team of crime scene experts is using the most advanced forensic technology to determine the cause of the tragic murder.
“The investigation is currently in the early stages of review. We also dispatched a team of crime scene experts who are using the most advanced forensic technology to get what exactly was the cause of this tragic murder. We don’t want to speculate into the motive of the shooting until we have confirmed,” Enanga said at police headquarters in Naguru.
Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, said the minister was on his way to attend a Cabinet sitting when he got shot.
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