Prime
Police militarisation fuelling human rights violations – study
Left to right: Businessman Anthony Latif, executive director of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum Adrian Jjuuko and Dr Silvie Namwase, a lecturer in the department of law, School of Law Makerere University, during the Network of Public Interest Lawyers roundtable conference in Kampala on Ocotber 11, 2023. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- The study recommends that the Police Act should designate a professional unit trained to deal exclusively with public order and management in addition to riot control.
Militarisation of the Uganda Police Force is greatly contributing to human rights violations in the country, a new study done by a Network of Public Interest lawyers in Uganda, has revealed.
The two-month study dubbed, “Militarisation and Military Capture of the Uganda Police Force, implications for Human Rights and Rule of Law,’’ was conducted within Kampala and some parts of the eastern region.
Findings indicate that whereas the police might be militarised to a minimum extent to respond to high-risk security contexts like the anti-stock unit in Karamoja and the field force unit to deal with riot control concepts, those scenarios have also been further hijacked through military capture, to perpetrate political policing.
“Now, it is this political policing, which has been described as a type of policing that is aimed at preserving a particular regime in power. Through this political policing, we have seen an extensive violation of human rights,” said Dr Sylivie Namwase, a lecturer in the department of law, School of Law Makerere University, while presenting the findings of the study.
She cited incidents during riot control situations where a large number of civilians have been killed, have disappeared, or tortured, without any justice or real reparations, or compensation for those human rights violations.
“We are also seeing a link between military capture and unlawful arrests and detention in unvisited areas,” Dr Namwase added.
This was during a roundtable discussion of the report held in Kampala yersterday.
However, when contacted for a comment, Deputy Spokesperson of the Uganda Police Force Patrick Onyango said: “I have not had the privilege of looking at that report so I cannot say much.
Maybe they shared a copy with my bosses Mr [Fred] Enanga …so try getting in touch with them.”
He added: “If top management gets a copy they will study it and they will respond appropriately.”
Police Spokesperson Enanga had, however, not responded to our calls or messages by press time.
The Spokesperson of the Uganda People’ s Defence Forces (UPDF), Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye, said: “ I can give you the answer tomorrow (today) after reading the report because they have not yet given me a copy.”
The study recommends that the Police Act should designate a professional unit trained to deal exclusively with public order and management, riot control, and it should be deployed based on levels of violence and risks involved.
