Ugandan security forces kill militia leader behind weekend attacks on police, army posts

Ugandan authorities have confirmed the death of a self-proclaimed traditional herbalist, Christian Asuman Muganzi, who allegedly led a coordinated assault on police and military installations in the country’s western region over the weekend.

The attacks, which began on Saturday, targeted security posts in Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Fort Portal districts—areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Armed with submachine guns and machetes, the insurgents killed one civilian and one soldier, according to military sources.

An army official in Bundibugyo described the group as a nascent tribal militia seeking to acquire weapons. Security forces swiftly responded, pushing back the attackers and launching a manhunt for their leader.

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On Tuesday, Muganzi was cornered at his shrine in Kakuka, Bundibugyo, where he was reportedly using traditional rituals to indoctrinate and recruit followers. He was killed alongside over 20 fighters, while 15 others were arrested, said Albert Kaliruga, deputy regional security chief.

“He was using his shrine at Kakuka to indoctrinate and recruit people to join his criminal group,” Kaliruga told AFP. “We recovered traditional herbs, fetishes, and other items used to prepare his recruits and allegedly protect them during battles.”

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the security situation along Uganda’s western frontier, a region long plagued by instability and cross-border threats. The area is known for harboring multiple armed groups, including affiliates of the Islamic State, operating in the lawless zones of eastern DRC.

Uganda has a history of insurgencies, most notably the brutal campaign led by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) during the 1990s and early 2000s. While the country has made strides in restoring peace, sporadic violence and militia activity continue to pose challenges to national security.

Authorities have vowed to maintain vigilance and intensify operations to prevent further attacks and dismantle emerging militant networks.