The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hoima District Police Commander Christopher Katumba Kiggundu has been transferred, a few hours to the Hoima district Parliamentary election scheduled for Thursday.
According to the transfer message released today, Kiggundu moves from Hoima to the Environmental Protection Police Unit –EPPU. He has been replaced by Martin Okoyo, from Mubende District. This is the first transfer by Col Jesse Kamunanwire, the newly appointed Police Human Resource Director.
The transfer affected 65 other officers, including the Hoima Community Liaison Officer –CLO Faisal Magumba whose next deployment remains unclear. Magumba, according to the transfer message, is transferred to Albertine region yet Hoima where he has been working as CLO falls under the same region.
Others are Commissioner of Police Herman Owomugisha who has been moved from Very Important Persons Protection Unit –VIPPU to Field Force Unit –FFU as commander, Khadija Namutebi, who moves from the Chief Police Commissariat –CPC to VIPPU as commander and Assistant Commissioner –ACP Moses Otaala, has been moved from VIPPU directorate of Welfare and Production as in charge mobilization and coordination to Operation Wealth Creation –OWC.
Assistant Commissioner of Police-ACP Patrick Lawot has been moved from Human Resource Management to police headquarters at Naguru as deputy commandant whereas ACP Anatoli Muleterwa has been appointed Acting Commissioner Community Affairs.
Katonga Regional spokesperson Phillip Mukasa has been appointed District Police Commander Apac, Superintendent of Police Richard Tamale moved from Filed Force Unit to greater Masaka region as Deputy Regional Police Commander, while Superintendent of Police Moses Okello moves from the Field Force Unit to Wamala as Deputy Regional Police Commander.
Superintendent of Police Fred Wakadubi also moves from Kiira region to Rwenzori East as the Deputy Regional Police Commander while John Tibbs Kiconco is transferred from Kidepo to SIPI as Deputy Regional Police Commander and SP Nelson Soma, from Wamala region to Mt Moroto as Deputy Regional Police Commander.
Hoima district will go to the polls on Thursday, to elect a woman member of parliament. The seat fell vacant after Hoima Woman MP Tophace Kaahwa Byagira chose to represent the newly created Kikuube district. The race now pits Harriet Mugenyi Businge, the National Resistance Movement –NRM candidate against Asinansi Nyakato, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate.
Manwhile, Forum for Democratic Change-FDC party has lodged a complaint against the heavy deployment of military personnel in Hoima district ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary elections.
The complaint dated Wednesday, September 25, 2019, was authored by FDC Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi and addressed to the Electoral Commission.
In the letter, FDC wants the commission to investigate the heavy deployment and involvement of military operatives in the polls. The party says that there are clear indications that the presence of the military is intended to intimidate and scare their supporters.
Nandala says that a number of opposition supporters continue to face repression, harassment, arbitrary arrests and beating by the military in the run-up to the polls, adding that many of them are now living in fear.
He further demanded that the military is withdrawn from the area and be replaced by the Police, the institution which is duty-bound to maintain law and order.
“We know that Uganda Police is adequately trained and informed of all aspects of Electoral law and procedures of a free and fair election,” He observes.
Last week police used teargas to disperse FDC supporters who took to the streets after their candidate Nyakato was blocked from accessing radio stations across the district. A few days later, the city witnessed running battles between security personnel and opposition supporters, during a procession to the final rally held in Bwali village.
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