Brigadier-General Emmanuel Rwashande has denied ordering soldiers to open fire during a violent confrontation in Lwemiyaga last week that left one man, Fred Ssembusi, dead and others injured—including his political rival, Theodore Ssekikubo.
The incident occurred during a campaign rally for the 2026 parliamentary race, where tensions flared between supporters of the two candidates.
In his first public response since the incident, Brig Rwashande said the violence was instigated by supporters of Ssekikubo who, he claimed, were ferried in from Kawempe.
“It’s not the UPDF that started the chaos,” Brig. Rwashande said in an interview with journalists. “It was Ssekikubo’s boys from Kawempe who fought with the Army. The situation was calm until they confronted and disarmed our soldiers.”
The soft-spoken, aging officer insisted that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) were only using sticks to maintain order at the rally. But the situation escalated when, according to him, a man allegedly wrestled a soldier’s magazine from his weapon, prompting panic among security forces.
“The Army fired live bullets in the air to regain control,” Rwashande explained, claiming to have video evidence to support his account.
“They disarmed one of our soldiers during the scuffle. That is what triggered the firing—not any command from me.”
He categorically denied allegations by Ssekikubo that he had ordered troops to shoot the candidate’s supporters.
“I did not command anyone to shoot because I wasn’t even on site at the time,” he said. “Neither was my field commander.”
Brig. Rwashande also accused the Lwemiyaga police of covering up evidence and protecting Ssekikubo, alleging that his rival physically assaulted members of his campaign team.
“Ssekikubo beat up our supporters, and police have refused to open a file on him,” Rwashande charged. “We’ve now turned to Masaka Police, where we expect our complaints to be formally recorded.”
In a separate press conference held at Parliament, Ssekikubo—visibly aggrieved and flanked by over 50 supporters—demanded justice for Ssembusi’s death.
He called for the removal of the Army from Lwemiyaga, prosecution of the accused officers in a court martial, and government compensation for the slain man's family.
“This was a political assassination disguised as crowd control,” Ssekikubo said. “The people of Lwemiyaga deserve answers, and Ssembusi’s family deserves justice.”
The violent confrontation has since triggered outrage in Sembabule District and reignited long-standing political tensions in the Lwemiyaga constituency.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission and other civil society organisations have called for an independent investigation into the shooting.
Meanwhile, the UPDF has not issued an official statement beyond Rwashande’s comments.
With both camps trading accusations and pressure mounting for accountability, the incident threatens to overshadow the lead-up to the 2026 elections in what has long been a politically volatile region.
