{{Short description|Ugandan politician and retired military officer (1958–2023)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{EngvarB|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Charles Engola | image = Okello Charles Patrick Engola Macodwogo.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date|1958|10|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Iceme, Oyam District, Protectorate of Uganda | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|5|2|1958|10|12|df=y}} | death_place = Kampala, Uganda | death_cause = {{pslink|Gunshot wounds}} | education = Kampala International University (Bachelor of Development Studies, Master of Public Administration and Management) | occupation = {{Hlist | Politician | retired military officer }} | years_active = 1982–2023 | known_for = Military matters | title = Member of Parliament for Oyam County North and State Minister for Defence| }}
'''Charles Okello Macodwogo Engola''' (12 October 1958 – 2 May 2023), commonly known as '''Charles Okello (Macodwogo) Engola''', was a Ugandan politician and a retired colonel in the Uganda People's Defence Force. He was the State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations in the Ugandan Cabinet, as well as the Member of Parliament representing Oyam North County when he was shot and killed by his bodyguard. Previously, he had held the position of Minister of State for Defence.
== Early life and education == Engola was born on 12 October 1958<ref>{{cite news |title=Colonel Charles Okello Engola: Police give update on di soja wey shoot and kill Minister |url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/cv2v50k77n9o |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=BBC News Pidgin |date=2 May 2023 |language=pcm}}</ref> in present-day Iceme, Oyam District.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=▶️ TRIBUTE: Who was Charles Okello Macodwogo Engola? |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/NV_159406 |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=New Vision |language=en}}</ref> His parents were Chief (Jago) Nasan Engola, a well known and respected chief in Lango, and Ketula Engola of Awangi, and he was the grandson of Rwot Olong Adilo, and great-grandson of Rwot Olwa Abelli of Iceme.<ref name=":0" /> He attended local primary school in Iceme. According to his profile at the website of Uganda's parliament, he obtained his high school certificate from Soroti Secondary School, in the city of Soroti, in the Eastern Region of Uganda.<ref name="2R" /> His first degree, a Bachelor of Development Studies, was awarded by Kampala International University, in 2010. His second degree, a Master of Public Administration and Management was obtained from the same university in 2013.<ref name="2R" />
==Career== In the military, 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.<ref name="3R">{{Cite web |last=Bill Oketch |date=24 July 2014 |title=Oyam chairperson demands recognition for ending LRA war |url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Oyam-chairperson-demands-recognition-for-ending-LRA-war/-/688334/2394894/-/puiq4i/-/index.html |access-date=24 February 2020 |newspaper=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala}}</ref>
During the 2006 national election cycle, Engola successfully contested the Local Council 5, Oyam District Council Chairmanship, on the ruling National Resistance Movement political party ticket. He won in a landslide, winning 93 percent of the vote.<ref name="3R" /> He was re-elected in 2011 and served as the local council Chair for Oyam District for 10 years, from 2006. In 2016 he won the Oyam North parliamentary seat.<ref name="2R">{{Cite web |last=Parliament of Uganda |date=2016 |title=Parliament of Uganda Members of the 10th Parliament: Charles Okello Macodwogo Engola |url=https://www.parliament.go.ug/mp_database/profile.php?mid=371 |access-date=7 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429224618/https://www.parliament.go.ug/mp_database/profile.php?mid=371 |archive-date=29 April 2021 |publisher=Parliament of Uganda |location=web.archive.org}}</ref>
On 6 June 2016, Engola was named to the cabinet as State Minister of Defence.<ref name="1R">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2016 |title=Museveni's new cabinet list At 6 June 2016 |url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/blob/view/-/3235304/data/1345443/-/3o16hn/-/Museveni%2527s+cabinet.pdf |access-date=14 June 2016 |newspaper=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala |archive-date=7 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007121926/http://www.monitor.co.ug/blob/view/-/3235304/data/1345443/-/3o16hn/-/Museveni%27s+cabinet.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="4R">{{Cite web |date=6 June 2016 |title=Cabinet: Kamya, Nadduli, Tumukunde In: President Yoweri Museveni Has Released The New Cabinet List |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1426284/cabinet-betty-kamya-nadduli-appointed |access-date=24 February 2020 |place=Kampala |newspaper=New Vision}}</ref> In the cabinet reshuffle of 14 December 2019, Engola retained his portfolio.<ref name="5R">{{Cite web |last=Javira Ssebwami |date=14 December 2019 |title=Cabinet Reshuffle: Museveni drops Muloni, Nadduli, PPS Kamukama |url=https://www.pmldaily.com/news/2019/12/breaking-cabinet-reshuffle-museveni-drops-muloni-nadduli-pps-kamukama.html |access-date=24 February 2020 |publisher=Post Media Limited |location=Kampala}}</ref>
At the time of his death, he was serving as the State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations<ref name="BBC 65454213 ">{{cite web | last=Atuhaire | first=Patience | title=Soldier shoots dead politician he was guarding | website=BBC News | date=2 May 2023 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65454213 | access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref> and led the Republic of Uganda government officials on 1 May 2023 in commemoration of the International Labour Day in Mayuge District in Eastern Uganda.<ref name="NTV Uganda 2023">{{cite web | title=Minister Engola shot dead | website=NTV Uganda | date=2 May 2023 | url=https://www.ntv.co.ug/ug/news/national/minister-engola-shot-dead-4219966 | access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref>
==Death== Charles Engola was shot at his home on 2 May 2023. He was 64. A soldier who was guarding Engola shot him and then shot himself dead.<ref name="BBC 65454213 "/><ref name="Celebrity Telegraph 2023">{{cite web | title=Soldier kills the politician he was protecting | website=Celebrity Telegraph | date=2 May 2023 | url=https://celebritytelegraph.com/2023/05/02/soldier-kills-the-politician-he-was-protecting/ | access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> The soldier who shot Engola was identified as Private Wilson Sabiiti, and the local press reported that the incident arose from an apparent dispute over the guard's wages.<ref name="AP-RMuhumuza 20230502">{{cite news |last1=Muhumuza |first1=Rodney |title=Media: Ugandan minister shot and killed by bodyguard |url=https://apnews.com/article/uganda-minister-shot-bodyguard-7edd541da986917ce37bea63e6010249 |access-date=7 May 2023 |work=Associated Press News |date=2 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Gender and Labour minister, Betty Amongi, who rushed to the scene soon after the shooting, said that Pte. Sabiiti was a new bodyguard and had been on the job for only a month. According to eyewitnesses of the shooting, Sabiiti had complained that he had not been paid some USh4,000,000, a bit more than US$1000, that was owed him.<ref name="TheEastAfrican4220150" /> Engola's aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Ronald Otim, also sustained injuries in the shooting and was rushed to hospital; two days later, he was said to be out of danger "and getting stable" after doctors at Mulago National Referral Hospital had stopped the bleeding.<ref name="TheEastAfrican4220150">{{Cite news |date=2 May 2023 |title=Ugandan cabinet minister shot and killed by his bodyguard |language=en |work=The EastAfrican |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/ugandan-minister-killed-by-bodyguard-4220150 |access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=4 May 2023 |title=Slain minister Engola's aide-de-camp out of danger - Mulago |language=en |work=New Vision |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/world/slain-minister-engolas-aide-de-camp-out-of-da-159596 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref>
==See also== * Cabinet of Uganda * Parliament of Uganda
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Engola, Charles}} Category:1958 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Lango people Category:Ugandan military personnel Category:People from Oyam District Category:Labour ministers of Uganda Category:Ministers of defence of Uganda Category:Members of the 11th Parliament of Uganda Category:Members of the 10th Parliament of Uganda Category:Kampala International University alumni Category:National Resistance Movement politicians Category:Deaths by firearm in Uganda <!--Category:Assassinated Ugandan politicians--Comment back in ONLY if motive is later shown to be political (else it's NOT an assassination.)--> Category:Murder–suicides in Africa Category:People murdered in Uganda Category:2023 murders in Africa Category:2020s murders in Uganda Category:Politicians assassinated in 2023 Category:Oyam District