Written By | Our Reporter
Kamwesiga (Right) is siad to have died in battle fighting for Russia
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A Ugandan man, Edison Kamwesiga, has been killed in Ukraine while fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war, raising renewed concerns over the recruitment of Ugandans into the ongoing conflict.
Kamwesiga reportedly died in Kupiansk, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, an area that has seen intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. His death was confirmed through identification details and images circulating on social media.
Kamwesiga (extreme right) with other Russian soldiers on front line
According to the details shared, Kamwesiga was a native of Kibombo Village, Nyakaina Parish, Buyanja Sub-county in Rukungiri District. He was born on June 19, 1980.
The circumstances under which Kamwesiga joined the fighting remain unclear, but his death comes just weeks after another Ugandan, Richard Akantorana, narrowly escaped forced recruitment into the Russian military.
Akantorana, 43, a father of two, said he was lured to Russia with promises of well-paying civilian employment. He told reporters that recruiters offered him jobs as a supermarket attendant, factory worker, or airport security guard. “I am a Ugandan. I have a wife and two daughters,” Akantorana said in a recorded statement, describing how armed men later forced him to enlist in the Russian army. 
A photo of Kamwesiga with his relatives at home
Before leaving Uganda, Akantorana said he survived on casual work, including cleaning supermarkets and riding a boda boda, earning about Shs50,000 a month. Struggling to provide for his family, he accepted the offer and took a loan from his savings group to facilitate his travel.
“I never knew I was going to the army,” he said. “I thought I was going to work in a supermarket.”
The two cases have heightened fears that vulnerable Ugandans facing economic hardship may be targeted by foreign recruiters using false promises of employment abroad.
Authorities in Uganda have previously warned citizens against unverified job offers overseas, particularly those linked to conflict zones. However, rights activists say stronger safeguards and public awareness are needed to prevent exploitation and protect Ugandans seeking opportunities abroad. By press time, the Ugandan government had not issued an official statement regarding Kamwesiga’s death.
Torch Media Africa
