Ugandan minister shot and killed by bodyguard: reports

The body of a bodyguard is put into an ambulance by Ugandan medical staff in Kyanja village, Kampala, on May 2, 2023. (Ajar Nalwadda / AP)

A bodyguard shot and killed a government minister in Uganda early Tuesday in an apparent private dispute, according to the army and local media.

The attacker, who has not been publicly identified, then turned the gun on himself, according to state broadcaster UBC and others.

The victim, Charles Engola, served in the government of President Yoweri Museveni as the junior minister in charge of labour. He was a retired army colonel.

Army spokesman Brig. Felix Kulayigye said in a short statement that an "unfortunate incident" led to the killing of Engola. "We shall inform the public the details as we jointly investigate the matter," Kulayigye said on Twitter.

The shooting took place inside Engola's home in a suburb of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Police detectives are now at the scene.

The motive was not immediately clear, but the local press said there had been an apparent dispute over the guard's wages.

"Witnesses claim that the soldier was yelling that he had not been paid for a long time despite working for a minister," the online newspaper NilePost reported.

The incident is likely to create shockwaves in a country where other high-profile officials have been killed in gun attacks over the years.

In 2021, a former army chief in Uganda was wounded and his daughter killed when gunmen shot at their vehicle in Kampala.