By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Police has issued an update statement about one of their officers who fatally shot a truck driver on Monday, 23rd December, 2024 along Sezibwa road in Kampala City.
Speaking to the media today, Monday, December 30, 2024, Rusoke Kituuma, the Police Spokesperson said the suspect, PC Bahati Charles, No. 55915 is still at large and police is actively looking for him.
Rusoke has also displayed the suspects Photo asking any member of the community who sights him to report to the nearest police station.
“On December 23, 2024, one of our officers, No. 55915 PC Bahati Charles, shot and fatally wounded Ssemwaka Julius, a driver of vehicle registration number UAX 460C, along Sezibwa road,” says Rusoke.
He says that following the incident, PC Bahati fled the scene with his weapon and is currently on the run.
“A search operation is underway to locate him,” he said while displaying Bahati’s photo.
A mini truck driver, Julius Ssemwaka was on Monday shot dead by Bahati, a police constable from the Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VIPPU) for allegedly refusing to give way to a police van.
Ssemwaka was killed along Sezibwa Road, near the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala at around 4:00 pm. He was at the time driving a truck, registration number UAX 640C with empty jerricans.
According to Joseph Musa, a boda boda rider who witnessed the shooting, Bahati, was on a police patrol vehicle with other officers. Musa stated that the officers appeared to be in a hurry and ordered the vehicles in front to give way.
The van was unable to move due to a traffic jam, leading to a heated exchange between Ssemwaka and the officers. According to Musa, the driver tried to explain that he couldn’t move because of the jam, but Bahati jumped out of the patrol vehicle and shot Ssemwaka once.
Immediately after the shooting, Bahati fled the scene, despite his colleagues’ attempts to apprehend him.
“He [Bahati] took off on a boda boda with his gun after his two colleagues jumped out of the patrol vehicle to try and arrest him,” Musa said. “The other officers then jumped back into the patrol vehicle and sped away.”
