Minister Otafire lashes out at police for beating Ugandans

Uganda’s Internal Affairs Minister Maj. Gen Kahinda Otafire has lashed out at police who have made it a culture to beat Ugandans during their operations saying it is criminal and all those caught in the act shall be punished.

Otafire says, no one has the mandate to beat a Ugandan, not even criminals.

The minister was on April 30 addressing residents in the villages of Bulika, Katoogo in Wakiso District and Waluga in Nama sub county  Mukono District where he was responding to cries of numerous murders.

During the meeting, residents shared their pains including lack of police in their area after the post they had was closed at the directive of the president when thugs attacked police posts for guns in Kampala metropolitan areas.

The residents revealed their area is separated by sugarcane plantations and tea estates from other residential areas making it hard to access police services from Nama subcounty headquarters, Mbalala and Mukono where they would seek help.

Recently, after a series of 13 boda-boda murders with two months, locals mounted a search where they netted a group of suspected people with disassembled motorcycles at Walusubi on Kampala-Jinja highway. Two suspects were killed and their bodies set on fire.

This prompted police to sweep villages for suspects where 30 people were arrested including local leaders of the four said villages and two school children.

The Regional Police Commander for Kampala Metropolitan East, Mr Joab Wabwire says arrests were made based on social media video clips that were circulating.

Mr Sulaiman Katambala, the Chairperson Waluga village told the minister that lack of coordination between the police and local leaders makes law enforcers mishandle cases and maltreat blameless people.

Mr Katambala said some people were badly beaten, promising to show the minister his back with wound as a result of the beating.

Concurring with the RPC that 17 people were released on police bond, Mr Katambala who wants the remaining 13 people to be released. He also requested for the police post in their area to be reinstated to solve the escalating murders and robberies both on the road and in homes.

In response, Minister Otafire who expressed frustration with police men who have made it a habit to beat people as a target rather than serving them, initially apologized to the citizens for the mistreatment. 

“Even if someone is guilty. There is no law that permits beating,” Mr Otafire said.

He asked those who were battered to open up cases on the individual law enforcers in courts of law since law is forbidden.

Mr Otafire ordered the RPC to ensure that all officers involved in the incident are disciplined and asked him to put back the police post and serve it with more manpower. He noted that Waluga village is distant and needs more officers to offer the expected police services.