The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have revealed that Brigadier General Stephen Kiggundu, the fallen Air Force Deputy Commander who died on April 31, 2024, was electrocuted by a bathroom water heater in his official residential home on Bulime Road in Entebbe municipality, Wakiso district.

According to Col Deo Akiiki, the UPDF Spokesperson, the cause of Gen Kigundu’s death is not yet well established, though the deceased could have been electrocuted when he fell in the bathroom.

“Even if somebody is electrocuted, you have to wait for the medical examination; power itself does not make you die. When it hits, it either stops the heart, so the stoppage of the heart is then deemed the cause of the death. And yes, it is true that he fell in the bathroom, and I think he came into contact with the live wire. Those are some of the circumstances we investigated: power linked to the heater,“ Col Akiiki said.

Col Akiiki revealed that the body is in the mortuary and that they will certainly have a post-mortem report.

He noted that by the time of his death, the late Kiggundu was the best in terms of fighting jets and that he died at a time when his services were most needed to continue strengthening the Ugandan Air Force.

“He was the first to be trained in fighter jet operations and fighting. The UPDF fraternity and Uganda People’s Defence Air Force will surely miss Brig Gen Kiggundu,” Akiiki stated.

Brig Gen Kiggundu, who has had a distinguished career, was the first pilot to be trained in piloting the Sukhoi 30s fighter jets, which Uganda purchased from Russia in 2012, and was appointed the squadron commander for the Sukhoi 3, according to the force.

By the time of his death as a pilot combat trainer, he was using his skills and knowledge to train hundreds of Ugandan pilots with the knowledge he got from several other trainings.