Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Col. Rtd Okello P. Charles Engola, has been shot dead in Kyanja by a UPDF soldier, who is yet to be identified. He was aged 64. The incident happened at around 9am.
Reports indicate that the soldier, who shot Engola dead kept on shouting, “….I work for a whole minister and yet I’m broke..”
The soldier fatally shot himself after killing the former minister.
Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigire confirmed the incident.
“Yes. Go to Kyanja, there is a shooting. A soldier has shot his boss,” Owoyesigire said.
His last public appearance was yesterday in Namutumba at the national celebration of Labour Day.
Engola was the commander of UPDF 501 Brigade, headquartered at Opit, in Gulu District. The brigade played a role in fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army.
He was promoted to the rank of colonel and retired from the military in 2007.
During the 2006 national election cycle, Engola successfully contested for the Local Council 5 (LCV), Oyam District Council Chairmanship, on the ruling NRM political party ticket.
He won in a landslide, winning 93 per cent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2011 and served as the LCV Chair for Oyam District for a continuous 10 years, from 2006. In 2016 he won the Oyam North parliamentary seat and is the incumbent member of parliament.
On 6 June 2016, Engola was named to the cabinet as State Minister of Defence. In the cabinet reshuffle of 14 December 2019, Engola retained his portfolio.
