YUMBE — Two people were shot and injured during a confrontation between a group of youths and security personnel accompanying Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officers in Kulikulinga Town Council, Yumbe District.
The incident occurred at about 9am on September 24, 2026, when URA officials were conducting an operation targeting unregistered motorcycles and suspected smuggling activities.
Preliminary police findings indicate that the enforcement team encountered a group of youths who allegedly resisted the operation and began throwing stones and other objects at the officers.
UPDF personnel who were providing security to the URA team allegedly responded by firing shots to disperse the crowd.
The shooting left two people, aged 21 and 16, injured.
The victims, whose identities have not been disclosed, were taken to Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital in Kuru, where they received medical attention.
Police have since opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Collins Asea, the Madi Sub-region police spokesperson, said the case was registered as unlawful wounding at Yumbe Police Station under reference Yumbe GEF 019/2026.
The two victims have recorded statements with police, while an eyewitness has also been interviewed.
Police issued the victims with PF3 forms to facilitate medical examination and documentation of their injuries.
Investigators are expected to establish what happened before the shots were fired, whether the use of firearms was directed at people involved in the confrontation and how the two victims came to be injured.
Police have not yet publicly identified the UPDF personnel alleged to have fired the shots.
The incident occurred during an operation against unregistered motorcycles and suspected smugglers, an enforcement area that has previously generated resistance from sections of communities in Yumbe.
However, police said investigations into this particular incident are still at an early stage.
Further statements are expected to be recorded as investigators establish the sequence of events and identify all those involved.
No charges have been announced in connection with the shooting as investigations continue.
