‘Stray’ bullet kills 13-year-old boy in Busia during URA operation

What the report says

A 13-year-old boy, Dominic Wejuli, was killed in Busia district during a confrontation linked to a Uganda Revenue Authority enforcement operation, according to The Observer. The incident happened at Buhobe trading centre in Bulumbi Sub-county, where URA officers and soldiers attached to the operation were moving to impound suspected smuggled goods said to have come from neighboring Kenya and been stored in a shop.

The report says residents became rowdy as the team tried to seize the goods, prompting a UPDF soldier attached to the operation to fire to disperse the crowd. Police said one bullet struck Wejuli while he was inside a house, and he died immediately. The newspaper reported that the boy was a primary four pupil and that his family and other residents were left shocked by the shooting.

Witnesses quoted by The Observer criticized the way the enforcement was carried out, alleging excessive force and calling for a review of URA’s tactics. Local residents and a teacher at Buhobe Primary School also urged authorities to intervene and ensure accountability and support for the bereaved family.

The case highlights long-running tensions around anti-smuggling enforcement along the Uganda-Kenya border area, where operations can trigger confrontations with local communities. It also raises questions about the use of live fire during civilian-facing enforcement actions.