Church Refuses Prayers for UPDF Officer Lt. Ariho After Suicide

Lt. Amon Ariho, an officer in Uganda’s People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), was buried in a quiet ceremony at his family home in Mwanjari, Kamwezi Sub-county, Rukiga District. Sadly, he took his own life last week.

Ariho, who worked in the UPDF Engineering Brigade, reportedly drove to a football field in Nakirebe, located between Wakiso and Mpigi districts. After asking the players to leave, he shot himself and died on the spot.

His burial was emotional, but it did not include the usual military honors. The church also refused to hold prayers or give him a Christian burial because of the way he died. Instead, a private funeral service took his body straight to the grave, with no hymns or prayers.

Family, friends, and local leaders shared speeches at the burial, expressing sadness and shock at his sudden death.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, expressed his sorrow, saying corruption played a role in Ariho’s death. He promised to address the issue, which he and President Museveni have spoken about before.