A 14-year-old pupil was shot dead and two others injured after a violent confrontation between Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcement officers and suspected smugglers at Buhobe trading centre, Bulumbi Sub-County in Busia District.

The deceased is Dominic Wejuli, a Primary Four pupil at Buhobe Primary School. The injured are Juliet Nasiswa, a pregnant woman shot in the hand, and Boniface Makadya, shot in the thigh.

Eyewitnesses say URA officers in a Toyota Wish intercepted smugglers transporting illicit wheat. The smugglers reportedly pelted the officers with stones, prompting them to open fire.

Wejuli ran into a nearby tea room for refuge, but a UPDF soldier dressed in a red t-shirt allegedly fired through the door, killing him instantly and injuring Nasiswa inside.

The shooting disrupted PLE at Buhobe Primary School, with one female candidate collapsing during Social Studies.

Angry relatives carried Wejuli’s body for nearly three kilometres to Busitema URA checkpoint and dumped it inside the premises to demand accountability.

Relatives insist Wejuli was not a smuggler. Local leader Geoffrey Wandera Waluucho questioned why a few bags of wheat should cost innocent lives.

Busia District Police Commander Grace Nyangoma confirmed investigations are underway.