13 UPDF Soldiers Arrested After Armed Confrontation With Wakiso Police Over Land Eviction
Wkiso-Uganda — A major security incident unfolded in Wakiso on Monday evening after thirteen soldiers attached to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) stormed Wakiso Police Division, attempting to forcefully evict residents in a land dispute without proper legal authorization — marking the latest in a troubling series of confrontations between military personnel and civilian law enforcement.
According to a police statement issued on June 2, 2025, at around 5:00 PM, “police officers at Wakiso Police Division were attacked by military personnel reportedly from the Presidential Task Force on Land Matters and Environment.” The soldiers arrived in a green minibus, registration number UBG 041U, and a Toyota Noah UBR 647B.
The group confronted the Division Police Commander (DPC) and other officers, demanding that the police assist them in evicting occupants from a disputed piece of land.
However, the DPC declined, citing legal and procedural shortcomings.
“She refused, citing the absence of a court order and the lack of involvement from the district security committee,” the statement read.
The soldiers’ demands quickly escalated into an armed confrontation.
“Her refusal angered the military personnel, leading them to confront her. In response, her fellow officers at the station used armed force, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that forced the soldiers to flee the scene,” police said.
A joint team comprising officers from Kampala Metropolitan North Region and UPDF later tracked down and arrested the suspects at Yesu Amala in Wakiso District. “The detained soldiers are currently in custody pending disciplinary action,” the police confirmed.
Widening Pattern of Security Clashes
The Wakiso incident is only the latest in an increasingly alarming pattern of military indiscipline and confrontations with civilian law enforcement. Barely a month earlier, on April 30, Lubowa Police Station in Kajjansi Division was violently attacked by a group of armed UPDF soldiers led by Lt. Samson Amo of the Special Forces Command (SFC).
In that incident, Lt. Amo reportedly called the Officer in Charge, ASP Sunday Innocent, ordering him to detain eight civilians allegedly arrested by the military. When the OC demanded to know the nature of the charges and the legality of the arrest, Lt. Amo allegedly responded with insults, calling the officer “stupid.”
Shortly thereafter, approximately 12 armed soldiers aboard a military vehicle (registration number H4DF 3348) stormed the station, placing police officers and civilians at gunpoint.
“They beat up the OC and other officers on duty, assaulted clients who had come to the station, and robbed several phones and personal items before fleeing,” a police report stated.
Five police officers were injured in the Lubowa assault — ASP Sunday Innocent, D/IP Claire Kisa, Sgt Kabaho, D/Sgt Njose, and D/C Tubwita — while six of the eight civilians who had been brought in by Lt. Amo were hospitalized due to severe beatings.
A case of aggravated robbery and attempted murder was subsequently opened against Lt. Samson Amo and his colleagues, and investigations into the motive for their actions are ongoing.
National Concern Over Military Indiscipline
The increasing frequency of such clashes has triggered alarm among security experts and government officials. Just weeks prior to the Lubowa incident, two UPDF officers in Mityana were arrested for allegedly torturing a civilian to death over a land dispute.
Last year, another soldier was court-martialed for fatally shooting a boda boda rider in Mukono after a minor traffic argument.
Security analysts warn that the pattern points to a deeper institutional problem. “When soldiers confront police officers and demand enforcement of land evictions without court orders, it signals a serious breakdown in inter-agency discipline,” one security expert noted.
The Presidential Task Force on Land Matters — which has been linked to both the Wakiso and previous incidents — was originally established to support investigations into fraudulent land transactions, but has increasingly faced criticism for alleged overreach and unauthorized operations.
Neither the UPDF nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs had issued official statements by Tuesday morning, but sources indicate that high-level consultations are underway to address the mounting tensions between military and police forces.
“This incident once again highlights the urgent need for clear boundaries and strict adherence to lawful procedures in resolving land conflicts,” a senior security official told this publication.
Source. chimp reports