KAMULI | THE EYE MEDIA | July 21, 2025
The killing of Sowedi, a Kamuli resident and husband to Kamuli District LCV candidate Sarah Auma, has sent shockwaves across Busoga, triggering a firestorm of public outrage, demands for accountability, and calls for independent investigations.
Sowedi was shot dead on the eve of the NRM parliamentary primaries, an incident that has since taken a political and security twist. The first public comment came from Buzaaya County MP and NRM flagbearer, Hon. Martin Muzaale Mugabi, who confirmed the incident during a news segment aired on Busoga One at 7:00am on July 17.
“Me, I am guarded by neither police nor soldiers but my boys. Sowedi and others came and knocked my gate with their car, badly damaged it as they tried to gain entry in order to kill me,” said Muzaale, alleging an attempted attack on his home.
However, police later issued their own version of events. In a statement aired on the same station at 9:00am, the in Kamuli confirmed that the fatal shooting was executed by police officers.
“He was shot by police as they tried to run away from Hon. Muzaale’s home, where they had gone to attack him,” said police in what many interpreted as an open admission of an extrajudicial killing.
These conflicting accounts have fueled public suspicion and anger, particularly as no evidence has been presented to support the official narrative that Sowedi posed a direct threat. Community members, leaders, and human rights advocates are now questioning the legality and necessity of the lethal force used.
Adding to the skepticism is the well-known close relationship between Hon. Muzaale and the Kamuli District Police Commander, a one Rebecca. Locals claim the two have long maintained a tight alliance, and many believe this may be the reason both the police and the MP appear to be shielding each other from accountability in the aftermath of Sowedi’s killing. “This is a cover-up between political power and law enforcement. We need answers,” said a resident from Lulyambuzi.
A section of Kamuli elites has since taken to a WhatsApp forum to demand answers to what they call “obvious but unanswered questions.” Notable among them are Col. Robert Bamuloze and former Jinja East MP Hon. Paul Mwiru, who both questioned the legality, process, and motive behind the operation that claimed Sowedi’s life.
The elite group is calling on authorities to provide clear answers to the following:
1. Which security organ was responsible for the shooting?
2. Was it a joint force or a singular police operation?
3. Who was in command of the shooting unit?
4. Where exactly did the shooting take place?
5. Was Sowedi armed at the time?
6. Was deadly force justified under the circumstances?
7. Who removed the body from the scene and why?
8. Was he dead or still alive at the time?
9. Where was the body taken and who received it?
10. Who undressed the body and circulated disturbing images?
11. Were the photos part of forensic documentation or intimidation?
12. Was a postmortem carried out, and by whom?
13. Why was the crime scene tampered with before full forensic work?
During Sowedi’s burial, mourners openly blamed both the police and Muzaale for the killing. Chants demanding justice filled the air, with speakers calling for an impartial and independent inquiry. “This was a political execution, not an accident,” said one speaker at the funeral.
The killing, occurring amid heightened political tensions in the run-up to the NRM primaries, has further fueled perceptions of targeted repression. So far, there is no indication that any independent investigation has been launched.
As pressure mounts from both local and national voices, one message remains consistent throughout Kamuli:
“Justice for Sowedi must prevail.”
