Deputy police field commander Ecotu dies at Mulago

What the report says

The Observer reports that Commissioner of Police Ecotu Agapitus, the deputy commander of Uganda’s Field Force Unit (FFU), has died at Mulago National Referral Hospital. The FFU is the police formation tasked with public order management, riot control and tactical operations. Ecotu had been serving under Assistant Inspector General of Police John Nuwagira and was transferred to the unit in a 2024 reshuffle by Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba.

According to the report, Ecotu’s death removes a senior officer with experience across administration, field operations, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping-related work. His previous roles included service at police headquarters in human resource administration, work in the Counter-Terrorism Directorate, and command responsibilities in the Rwenzori region. The article also notes that he was promoted in June 2023 from Assistant Commissioner of Police to Commissioner of Police during a broader promotion exercise.

The Observer says Ecotu had also been considered for United Nations police assignments linked to the African Union mission in Somalia, and had been involved in training and mentoring during a deployment in Mogadishu. Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke said the force would issue an official statement later, with the cause of death and burial arrangements to be announced in due course. The report adds that colleagues described Ecotu as disciplined and dependable.