Kampala – Police are investigating circumstances under which the State Minister for labor, employment and industrial relations, Retired Colonel Charles Okello Engola was shot dead in Kyanja on Tuesday morning.
The minister is said to have been shot by one of his body guards identified as Private Wilson Sabiiti at around 8 am on Tuesday while entering his vehicle to go for work.
The body guard allegedly fired several shots at close range which killed the minister on spot and injured two of his other body guards. He later fled the scene up to the trading center at Kyanja ring road where he entered a saloon and also shot himself dead.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed the incident while addressing a press conference at police headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday.
He said, “The Deputy Inspector General police together with the Director CID have responded to this incident. The investigation is currently in the early stages of review.”
Enanga said they have dispatched a team of crime scene experts who are using the most advanced forensic technology to get what exactly was the cause of this tragic murder.
“We don’t want to speculate into what would be the motivation of his murder. But we just want to confirm this at this stage that the Hon. Minister died at the scene,” noted Enanga
However according to eye witnesses, the body guard complained of non payment of his salary.
Engola was born on October 12, 1958 to Chief (Jago) Nasan Engola and Ketula Engola of Awangi, in Iceme, Oyam district.
On 6 June 2016, he was was appointed State Minister of Defence. At the time of his death, he was serving as the State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial relations.
