The army and Homicide Detective Police in Amuru District have commenced an investigation into the fatal shooting of the Acting Amuru District Veterinary Officer Dr. Samuel Ochora.
Dr. Ochora was reportedly shot by a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier at about 10:20 P.m. Thursday at Kolo Police Post in Kololo Parish, Lakang Sub-County in Amuru District. He succumbed to the bullet injury at around 2 am according to security reports.
The deceased was reportedly in the company of security officers heading for an operation in Kidimon Village in Lakang Sub-County to enforce the eviction of defiant cattle keepers commonly known as the Balaalo.
The operation code-named “Operation Harmony” kicked off last year following Executive Order No.3 issued by President Museveni in May last year.
Lt Col Deo Akiiki, the Deputy Defence Spokesperson and Spokesperson Operation Harmony told Uganda Radio Network Friday that the deceased was hit by a bullet “accidentally” discharged from the gun of a soldier. He identified the soldier as RA/177787 L/Cpl Francis Ekiu attached to the 65th Battalion under the Fourth Infantry Division.
According to Lt. Col Akiiki, the soldier accidentally discharged a bullet from his weapon injuring himself first before fatally hitting the veterinary doctor.
He says the soldier has been admitted for medical treatment while waiting for the next cause of action while the deceased body is currently at the Fourth Infantry Division Hospital morgue pending postmortem.
Lt. Col Akiiki says the UPDF Special Investigation Branch and the Police Criminal Investigation Directorate have begun investigating the matter for further clarity.
The Amuru Resident District Commissioner Stephen Odong Latek revealed that Dr. Ochora was in the company of the Amuru District Police Commander and the Deputy District Internal Security officer at the time of the incident.
He said nine armed UPDF soldiers seated in a double cabin pickup had accompanied the officials to aid in the implementation of the eviction of the defiant cattle keepers.
According to him, one of the soldiers hadn’t closed his gun safe at the time when he released the bullet that hit Ochora during the journey.
Latek said the soldier first shot his leg before the bullet penetrated the cabin and hit Ochora on his back. Ochora was reportedly seated directly behind the co-driver’s seat at the time of the incident.
Reliable information Uganda Radio Network established indicates that Ochora and the security officers were heading to a holding ground in Kidimon village in Lakang Sub-County where about 300 cattle belonging to defiant migrant cattle keepers were being held.
The cattle according to security reports were impounded on Thursday and needed to be secured by security personnel until daybreak before they were transported out of the district.
So far 2,500 cattle belonging to defiant migrant cattle keepers have exited Amuru district in the ongoing eviction of defiant cattle keepers since the operation commenced in November last year.
Dr. Ochora was scheduled to graduate in February this year with a Master’s Degree in Animal production and Marketing from Gulu University.
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