KASESE, Uganda — One suspected attacker was shot and later found dead, while four others were arrested after a group of about six men armed with pangas attacked Bugoye Sub-county Police Station in Kasese District in the early hours of Thursday.
The incident happened at about 2 am on October 1, when the attackers reportedly targeted an officer on duty and attempted to seize his firearm.
According to the Uganda Police Force, the officer resisted the attempt and shot one of the attackers in the leg.
The injured man fled from the station but was later found dead some metres away. Police said his body was taken to a mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Four suspects were arrested following the attack. They were identified as Simon Irumba, 26; Abson Kiiza, 29; George Kadama, 25; and Lenaxi Baluku, 28.
Police said the four are residents of Muramba II Village in Bugoye Sub-county. Kiiza and Baluku are described as casual workers, while Kadama is a businessman.
A panga believed to have been used by the attackers was recovered at the scene.
Attackers posed as people seeking help
Details emerging from the investigation indicate that the attackers may have used a deceptive approach to gain access to the police station.
A police officer who survived the attack told Daily Monitor that two of the men initially presented themselves as members of the public who needed assistance.
The officer reportedly welcomed them and picked up a record book to record their statements.
However, one of the men allegedly suddenly attacked his colleague and attempted to grab his firearm.
Another attacker carrying a panga then approached the second officer, who managed to take cover under a table without being noticed.
The officer whose firearm was targeted resisted and fired, hitting one of the attackers.
The group reportedly fled after realising that the police officers had raised the alarm and that reinforcements were being called.
Suspect dies after fleeing
The man who was shot reportedly managed to escape despite suffering a gunshot wound to the leg.
Police and other security personnel later tracked the fleeing suspects.
The injured man was eventually found dead a short distance from the station.
Daily Monitor identified him as Masereka Zalimoni Kyanakyibi, a resident of Magoma Village, Muramba Parish.
The initial police statement released after the attack, however, said the identity of the deceased had not yet been confirmed. Police subsequently said investigations and a postmortem examination would help establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
Four suspects tracked and arrested
Following the attack, security teams moved in to search for the fleeing suspects.
According to police, footprints left by the attackers helped security officers track them.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces also joined the response, while police deployed canine units to assist in tracing the suspects, according to the Rwenzori East police authorities.
The four arrested men were taken into custody and are being questioned as investigators attempt to establish their individual roles in the attack.
Police have not yet said whether the four were among those who directly attempted to seize the firearm.
Investigators are also pursuing at least one other suspect who remains at large.
Motive remains unclear
The motive for the attack had not been established by Thursday.
Police are investigating whether the suspects were acting together and whether the raid was planned specifically to obtain a police firearm.
Rwenzori East Police spokesperson ASP Elly Maate said investigators were working to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and the possible involvement of the arrested suspects.
Bugoye Sub-county LCIII chairman James Katalikawe Muthulhanda said local authorities had been informed that unknown armed people had attacked the police station.
He said the motive remained unclear and that the interrogation of those arrested could provide investigators with more information.
Police have appealed to residents to report suspicious activity and provide information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects who escaped.
Authorities have also urged members of the public to report anyone who may seek treatment for injuries sustained during the attack.
Security heightened
Security has been heightened around Bugoye Police Station and other security installations in the area following the attack.
Police said they remain on alert and prepared to respond to any further attacks on police facilities.
The incident has raised fresh security concerns in the Rwenzori sub-region, where security installations have previously been targeted by armed groups.
It comes less than a year after coordinated attacks on security installations in parts of the Rwenzori region on November 1, 2025.
During those attacks, armed assailants targeted police stations, military installations and other locations in Kasese and neighbouring districts, resulting in deaths, injuries and arrests.
Police have not established a connection between the November 2025 attacks and Thursday’s raid.
Investigation continues
By Thursday, police investigators had visited and documented the Bugoye station, while the recovered panga was preserved as an exhibit.
The four suspects remained in custody as investigators continued questioning them.
Police said the investigation would focus on establishing the motive, identifying all those involved and locating the suspects who escaped.
For now, authorities are urging residents in Bugoye and the wider Rwenzori region to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to security agencies as the investigation continues.
