Minister Otafiire orders arrest of Mukono police officers
MUKONO | Internal Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire has directed Police in Mukono District to arrest some of its police officers over a poorly coordinated operation that resulted into arrest of innocent persons and assault of local leaders.
The operation was intended to arrest suspects in a mob violence that claimed the lives of four people following the killing of two boda boda operators in the area.
Last month, Nama Subcounty was hit by crime where seven people including a baby died due to violence and robbery, a one-year-old child at Katoogo Village was killed and his body was dumped in a toilet.
Shortly after, two boda boda riders were killed and their motorcycles were stolen.
A group of angry locals descended on two suspects whom they lynched and burnt their bodies.
On April 26, Rogers Katalikabbe, a native healer, was attacked in his home at night by unknown people and beheaded.
His body was dumped in the shrine in the same village of Katoogo.
The situation attracted the attention of Minister Otafiire who convened a meeting with the locals at Katoogo trading center in Nama.
In the engagement with the minister, Sulaiman Katambala, the Waluga Village chairman, accused security operatives of acting unprofessionally and indiscriminately arresting innocent persons.
“Mr Minister, security arrested innocent people, including school-going children, and leaders we were assaulted accusing us of inciting residents into mob justice,” Katambala said.
The Mukono South MP Abdallah Kiwanuka, faulted police for its negligence against criminality in the subcounty despite several cases reported to Mukono Police.
Mr Kiwanuka added there are still weaknesses in policing as people go for help and instead police officers ask for fuel.
Former Mukono North MP Ronald Kibuule asked the minister to reinstall Katoogo Police Post with enough officers to create sanity in the area.
Responding to the police’s conduct, Kampala East regional commander Joab Wabwire, said the arrested people were seen on social media videos burning people leading to their arrest.
Gen Otafiire blamed the police for arresting and torturing local leaders without adequate investigation and ordered Wabwire to arrest and prosecute every police officer involved in the act.
“Ugandans are not cows to be beaten, RPC I want you to arrest those officers that beat up leaders," he said.
"I will not allow Ugandans to be beaten under my watch as minister of internal affairs."
Otafiire apologised to the tortured leaders, but blamed the deaths on the Mukono police for not paying attention to criminality reported to the police which led to mob taking the law into their own hands.
“Sometimes it's you police causing all these problems because you don't attend to people's issues, that's why people have started ganging up against suspected criminals in the communities,” said Otafiire.
