Workers at Formasa Farm in Madudu Sub-county, Mubende District, were left in shock after a police officer shot and seriously injured a farm worker identified as Olivier Buguseengi, leaving his intestines exposed.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 11 a.m. when police officers, accompanied by more than 30 residents, stormed the farm in search of allegedly stolen pigs.
John Bosco Shabushimik, one of the workers, said a woman had reported that her pigs had been stolen and that police demanded access to the farm to verify the claim.
“When they asked for the farm manager, I gave them his number, and they proceeded to the pigsty, where they found two pigs and claimed they were the stolen ones,” Shabushimik said.
He added that the workers had earlier confined the pigs after finding them destroying tree seedlings.
“It’s not the first time we’ve done that. Whenever animals destroy our seedlings, we take them to the sty and inform the owners to pick them,” he explained.
According to Shabushimik, tension rose when locals began accusing the farm workers of theft.
“They wanted to take the pigs without the manager’s consent. When we resisted, police started shooting, and that’s when my colleague Buguseengi was hit. His intestines came out,” he narrated.
Another worker, Norman Mbabazi, said Buguseengi was arranging seedlings in a nursery bed when police opened fire, sustaining bullet wounds in the back and stomach.
“They shot several times trying to disperse us, but what shocked us most was how they hit my colleague,” he said.
Farm manager Nicholas Asiimwe said he was on his way to the farm when he received a call informing him that police had arrived, followed by another call reporting the shooting.
“What they did to our employee is unacceptable. For years, police have been biased against us. Animals from neighboring farms often destroy our seedlings, but nothing is done. Now our boy is in hospital in critical condition,” he stated.
Video footage obtained by The Nile Post shows angry farm workers surrounding the policemen, armed with pangas, spades, and hoes, warning them not to take the pigs.
Dr Emmanuel Mugabi from True Vine Medical Centre confirmed that Buguseengi sustained two bullet wounds — one in the back and another in the stomach — and was in critical condition.
Wamala Region Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala said the shooting resulted from a stray bullet fired as officers attempted to disperse violent workers.
“When our officers went to search for the pigs, the workers turned violent and attacked them. In an attempt to disperse them, officers shot in the air, but unfortunately, one of the workers was hit by a stray bullet,” she said.
Kawala added that one of the police officers was injured in the scuffle and that three workers, including the farm manager, were arrested but later released on bond as investigations continue.
