Deadly raids on security barracks in Bundibugyo District as gunmen attack police and army installations
Kasese/Bundibugyo
In a brazen assault that has left dozens dead and the region on edge, unknown armed assailants raided security facilities in western Uganda’s Rwenzori region, most prominently in Bundibugyo and neighbouring Kasese district. The Saturday 1st.November 2025 attacks targeted police posts, army barracks and other installations, resulting in significant casualties—including among police and army personnel.
The attacks
According to security sources, the violence erupted on a Saturday afternoon when a group of assailants equipped with crude weapons—such as machetes, pangas and spears—and some with firearms, descended on the towns. In Bundibugyo, they attacked the main police station, the nearby army barracks at Kanyamwirima, and even a commercial bank branch, prompting a fierce response by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and the Uganda Police Force (UPF).
In Kasese district, a separate group attacked at least one police checkpoint and a weighbridge station, killing at least one policeman and several civilians.
Casualties and losses
Reports indicate that in Bundibugyo alone the death toll reached 50+ attackers killed in clashes with the UPDF, with at least two police officers and two soldiers among the dead. In Kasese, at least one policeman was confirmed dead, and additional civilian casualties were reported.
Security forces say that attackers succeeded in disarming some police officers and seized firearms from installations.
Motive and context
Authorities are investigating possible triggers behind the coordinated raids. Initial statements from police suggest the violence may stem from tribal or land-conflict tensions among local ethnic groups—particularly the Bakonzo, Basongora and Bamba communities—rather than external rebel insurgencies.
Despite this, some analysts caution that the scale and targeting of the attacks (police/army installations) raise serious concerns about broader security risks, including possible militant infiltration.
Response and aftermath
In the immediate aftermath, security forces mobilised heavily: UPDF troops were deployed to the affected towns, a cordon was established, and dozens of suspects were arrested for interrogation.
Authorities also revealed the existence of mass graves in Bundibugyo, where scores of bodies were buried near the barracks and in remote villages. Efforts to exhume and identify the remains are pending court orders and forensic preparation.
Residents remain anxious. Eyewitnesses described scenes of gunfire lasting several hours, terrified civilians fleeing homes, and many bodies lying in the streets as security mop-up operations continued.
Going forward
The government has vowed to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attacks. Meanwhile, local leaders are calling for calm and emphasising reconciliation among ethnic communities. But the wounds are fresh and the security implications stark. Analysts say unless root causes—such as land disputes and ethnic grievances—are addressed, the risk of further instability remains high.
