The fatal shooting in Ndejje has raised fresh questions over how police are enforcing the government’s National Cleaning Day restrictions.
A National Cleaning Day exercise in Ndejje, Kampala, turned deadly on Saturday morning after a police officer allegedly shot and killed a boda boda rider who was reportedly trying to pass through a secured area.
Police Constable Allan Okello, attached to Ndejje Police Station, has been arrested as investigators probe the circumstances surrounding the shooting of 38-year-old Kizito Ronald Jjuuko.
The incident happened at about 7:30 a.m. at Ndejje Kanaaba, within Katwe Police Division, as police officers deployed to enforce security during the community cleaning exercise confronted the rider.
According to Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke, preliminary findings indicate that Jjuuko was allegedly attempting to force his way through an area that had been secured for the exercise when he was shot.
“In circumstances that are now under investigation, the rider was allegedly shot by Police Constable Allan Okello, a police officer attached to Ndejje Police Station,” Rusoke said.
The arrest of the officer means the police force is now investigating one of its own over the death, with particular attention expected to focus on what happened immediately before the firearm was discharged and whether the officer had lawful grounds to use lethal force.
Jjuuko was identified using his National Identification Card, according to police.
Police face questions over use of force
The shooting has put the conduct of officers enforcing National Cleaning Day under scrutiny, particularly as the government has imposed temporary restrictions on movement during the monthly exercise.
Rusoke acknowledged that police officers have a legal responsibility to maintain public order and protect life and property, but stressed that those powers do not give officers unlimited discretion to use force.
“Any use of force must be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and strictly guided by the law, established police operational procedures, and the prevailing circumstances,” he said.
Police have not said whether Jjuuko posed an immediate threat to the officer or anyone else at the scene, nor have they disclosed the circumstances that led Okello to fire his weapon. Those questions are now central to the investigation.
The Uganda Police Force has expressed condolences to Jjuuko’s family, relatives and friends while insisting that the circumstances surrounding his death must be established.
Death during government’s new cleaning programme
The shooting occurred during Uganda’s second National Cleaning Day since the government launched the monthly programme in July 2026.
The government designated the last Saturday of every month as National Cleaning Day, with the exercise scheduled to run from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
During the designated period, members of the public are expected to participate in community cleaning activities, while boda bodas, vehicles and pedestrians are restricted from moving until the exercise ends.
But in Ndejje, an exercise intended to promote cleanliness ended with a civilian dead and a police officer in custody.
The investigation will now have to determine whether Jjuuko deliberately defied the restrictions, what exactly happened when he encountered the officers, and—most importantly—whether shooting him was a lawful and proportionate response.
For now, Police Constable Okello remains under arrest as the investigation continues.
