Photos: Former Ugandan District Police Commander assassinated alongside his female companion

Former District Police Commander (DPC) in Buyende, Uganda, Muhammad Kirumira has been shot dead alongside his female

companion, on Saturday evening near his home in Bulenga along Mityana road.

The maverick former police officer was reportedly returning from Resort Park on his way home when he was intercepted by two assailants riding on a motorcycle without lights at around 9.00pm.

The gunmen reportedly shot more than 10 bullets at the vehicle - a black Toyota Corona registration number UAJ 228V before fleeing from the scene. Good Samaritans removed Kirumira and the female occupant from the vehicle and tried to rush them to hospital to save their lives but unfornately they died on the spot.

The driver's front door glass was shattered and the right hind tyre is also bearing gunshots and is deflated. The driver's door is bearing at least 5 visible bullet scars.

Although it's 5-minute walk from the nearby police station, police came to the scene of crime after more than 30 minutes according to eye-witnesses.

Earlier in the day, Kirumira sent out an audio message congratulating journalists for successfully electing new office bearers in Uganda Journalists Association. He appealed to the winners to embrace the losers of today's polls and incorporate their manifestos for the betterment of their profession.

Kirumira, who was known for speaking openly, cautioned the new leaders to guard against journalists working for their personal gains, saying they derail the professions.

He signed off the message, saying "I am Muhammad Mwoyo Gwa Gwanga. Mwoyo Gwa Gwanga simply means patriot. I am around. I am still around. Until God says don't be around. I am still around and my virtues and values haven't changed," he said.

Kirumira was a strong critic of former police boss Gen Kale Kayihura's leadership and even faced the police court for the strong criticism and was planning to contest for a parliamentary seat later in 2021.

Kirumira's shooting comes exactly 3 months after the gunning down of Arua municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and his brother on June 8.

President Museveni arrived at the scene of the shooting at around 11.52pm. He walked from Bulenga police station to the scene of the shooting. The president did not get close to the bullet riddled car. Museveni picked out two eye witnesses from the crowd at the scene. The two men who claimed were boda boda riders said the shooters were riding on two sport bikes and were hooded.

One of the witnesses said he heard Kirumira pleading for mercy saying, "Bambi temunzitta" (please don't kill) because they shot him near a boda boda stage. Asked by the president why they did not chase after the shooters, the boda boda riders said seven of them tried to but could not proceed when the shooters turned the guns at them.

"They shot twice at us and we ran for dear life. They rode heading towards Bulenga town," he said.

Museveni then asked the police officers at the scene if they had noted down the registration number of the vehicle that had taken Kirumira to hospital. Police had no details. He asked his presidential guards, Special Forces Command to get more details from the witnesses.

Kirumira is the second police officer after former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi to be shot (on March 17, 2017) in almost identical style.