Minister orders arrest of security officers over assault of leaders in Mukono

Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Otafiire Kahinda has instructed the Kampala Metropolitan East Regional Police Commander Joab Wabwiire to arrest all officers who were involved in assaulting leaders in Mukono District.

The directive follows a series of incidents through which area leaders were allegedly arrested and assaulted during joint security operations conducted to curb mob justice in Katoogo Parish, Nama Sub County.

One of the operations held on April 13, led to the arrest of 29 residents including four village chairpersons and two sub-county councillors for allegedly inciting mob justice against people suspected to belong to a gang of robbers targeting boda-boda riders in the area.

Three boda-boda riders had been killed within a space of two months and to counter the crimes, area residents launched a manhunt against the masterminds and killed four suspects within two days. They were identified as Denis Sanya, Moses Wafula, Junior Masiga, and Abdullah Ssemujju.

But the Police arrested the ringleaders among them chairpersons and two school children. Those arrested were identified as Abdu Mukimba, Deo Kiggundu, Lule Mpeera, and venseyo Byekwaso. The school Children were identified as Reagan Nviri, 17, and Dickson Kiyaga, 18 from Fairland Secondary School.

According to the RPC, the arrested people were identified using the video clips recorded and circulated on social media during the mob justice which happened in the area.

But the leaders say that they were falsely accused and assaulted during their arrest by men in army and police uniforms. Waluga Village Chairperson Sulaiman Katambala several of those arrested were far away from the crime scene but were picked from their homes on false intelligence.

“Despite explaining to them that we were the area leaders, they went ahead to humiliate us by beating us and later incarcerated us for two days. No wonder they arrested two school children and a mad person known by everyone in the community on accusations of murder and malicious damage.”

They were speaking during a security meeting organized at Buyuki Village by the Former Mukono North Member of Parliament Ronald Kibuule on Tuesday evening.

Gen. Otafiire apologized for the indecent arrest and assault of leaders by security officers and tasked the RPC to identify and arrest the officers involved.

“Make sure they are brought to book, No one is allowed to beat Ugandans. I am not going to allow anyone to beat Ugandans under my watch,” Gen. Otafiire noted while addressing a security meeting last evening.

Several residents are also dismayed by the closure of the police post in the area. One of them, Margret Nakavubu notes that the post was closed despite a rise in population, yet the police station serving the sub-county is not only far but doesn’t have a vehicle or motorcycle to respond in time.

Katoogo police post was among the posts closed in November 2022 as a way of implementing President Yoweri Museveni’s 2019 directive of concentrating police officers at the sub-county level following attacks on police posts, especially in areas of Mityana, Luweero, Kiboga, Nakaseke, and Wakiso.

Gen. Otafiire instructed the RPC to work with Mukono Division Commander Edrisa Kyeyune to reinstate the police post. Please increase the number of police officers from four to eight at the station and provide them with at least two motorcycles.

Ronald Kibuule applauded the minister for the decision to consider reinstating the police post in the area hoping this will help to manage crimes.

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