One of the youth mobilisers of President Museveni in Busia District was last evening shot dead by a Uganda People’s Defence Forces soldier (UPDF) during violent clashes between the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters.
Aaron Mukisa, a resident of Nawante village, Namungodi Town Council, was shot dead at around 6 pm on January 7, 2026, after NRM supporters clashed.
Mukisa’s family told this publication that he was shot at close range by a soldier attached to Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, Mr John Mulimba, who is also the incumbent MP for Samia North constituency.
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Following the shooting, violence erupted, leaving Samia North constituency candidate John Paul Wandera’s supporter, identified only as Ndeke, in critical condition after he was beaten by rival supporters.
Mr Wandera is campaigning to become Samia North MP on the Independent ticket after he lost the NRM flag to Mr Mulimba.
Another victim of the violence, Mr Peter Simwero, a local DJ in Namungodi Town Council, sustained head injuries after he was allegedly stabbed with a bayonet by a soldier.
Another victim, Mr Robert Osinya, said they were attacked by the soldiers minutes before 7pm as they gathered at Mr Wandera’s office in Namungondi Town Council.
‘We were at the office when the minister’s convoy, with police patrol cars, a UPDF vehicle and his supporters on motorcycles, arrived at the trading centre,’ Mr Osinya said.
He said Mr Mulimba’s supporters, armed with stones and sticks, attacked them before violence broke out.
Some of the soldiers in Mr Mulimba’s company reportedly fired shots in the air as others beat up Mr Wandera’s supporters clad in NRM T-shirts.
Mr Osinya added that one soldier singled out Mukisa and beat him repeatedly as he pleaded for his life.
‘He had already surrendered due to the beatings. I heard him cry out, ‘I am a supporter of President Museveni, don’t beat me, don’t shoot me,” Mr Osinya said.
According to Osinya, the soldier cocked his gun and shot Mukisa before running back to jump onto a waiting military truck that sped off.
Mukisa’s body, clad in the yellow T-shirt with President Museveni’s portrait, was left on the roadside, lying in a pool of blood as the soldiers drove away.
Efforts to reach John Mulimba were unsuccessful, as our repeated phone calls to his known telephone numbers went unanswered.
However, sources in Mulimba’s camp alleged that Mukisa had stoned the UPDF soldier, prompting the shooting.
‘He pelted the soldier with stones; that is why he was shot,’ a source said.
Mr Osinya dismissed this claim, saying Mukisa never threw stones.
‘He was a humble young man and never involved in any act of violence,’ Mr Osinya said.
The shooting happened as Mr Mulimba’s was returning from a campaign rally in Mayombe
The race for Samia North constituency has increasingly become intense with violent episodes witnessed as the country enters the final stretch of campaigns ahead of the January 15, 2026 polls.
The incumbent MP, Mr Mulimba is facing a stiff challenge from independent candidate, Wandera, locally known as Team Nkolerawo, and John Okumu Emurut, both NRM. All the three contenders are NRM leaning.
Mr Kenneth Ojambo of Namungodi Town Council, who joined NRM from the National Unity Platform last year, said he is reconsidering his support following Mukisa’s killing.
‘When soldiers shoot innocent people campaigning for President Museveni just for not supporting the minister, then there is a serious problem,’ Mr Ojambo said.
One of Mukisa’s family members, Mr John Maholo, asked the government to take action, questioning the state of democracy in the country.
‘President Museveni should investigate why a soldier would recklessly shoot an innocent young man,’ he said.
Namungodi Town councillor, Mr Stanley Wejuli called the shooting barbaric and aimed at undermining Museveni’s votes.
‘Shooting an innocent young man for not supporting Mr Mulimba is sad and meant to hurt NRM and the president,’ he said.
BACKGROUND
Despite backing President Museveni since 1996, voters in Busia have repeatedly rejected his ministers at parliamentary elections.
Notable examples include:
1996: Minister Gabriel Oppio lost to Chango Macho in Samia Bugwe South.
2001: Oppio, then Minister of State for Finance, was defeated by Simon Mayende Enyanda, who later lost to Oppio in 2006.
2011: Oppio was again voted out, with Julius Wandera Maganda winning Samia Bugwe South; in the same year, Minister Aggrey Awori lost Busia Municipality to FDC’s Kevinah Taaka Wanaha.
2016: Minister Nekesa Babra lost the Busia District Woman MP seat to Jane Nabulindo Kwoba.
2021: Minister Julius Maganda Wandera lost Samia South to Odero Were.