Ministers concerned over psychological well-being of their bodyguards, remuneration

This follows an incident in which a bodyguard (Pte. Wilson Sabiiti) shot his boss, the State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Rtd. Col. Charles Okello Engola Macodwogo, and later took his own life.

The incident took place on Tuesday, May 2 2023.

The State Minister for Primary Education, Joyce Kaducu, while talking to the media on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, said their bodyguards need psychological evaluations and counselling to avoid a repeat of the same incident.

“People have mental illnesses sometimes that may go unnoticed. Our bodyguards need psychological evaluations and counselling were necessary. It is unfortunate what happened to our colleague yesterday,” she said, adding that the bodyguards too need training.

She added: “These bodyguards also need time off to be with their families. This at times can help improve their mental well-being.”

The Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, said Government needs to look into the remuneration of security agencies as a whole, most especially those guarding ministers and other people holding public offices.

Magyezi said poor remuneration easily leads to one’s frustration which in turn can affect the mental well-being of these people.

“I am worried that we all have bodyguards and we are not given an opportunity to choose who we want,” he said.

“Government needs to look into the remuneration of these security guards because if they faced with financial challenges, then chances of them developing mental challenges are high. The Ministry of Defence needs to look into this seriously.”

Muruli Mukasa, the Public Service minister, said superiors (Ministers) should always make it a point to engage their bodyguards. He said this will help them know if someone is in the right state of mind or not.

“I think the onus is on the ministers themselves. There has to be frequent engagement with these bodyguards. This will help them know whether someone is in the right state of mind or not,” he said.