Courtesy Photo.
A Christian police officer in Kampala, Uganda has been accused by her superiors of being partisan based on religious grounds after a video of her preaching on streets while in police uniform emerged on social media.
Speaking to members of the press, SCP Hadijah Namutebi, the Political Commissar of the Uganda Police Force, asserted that the Christian officer had been fully deployed, but “unlawfully withdrew from her duties and went to preach on the streets.”
The Christian police officer, while holding a megaphone in one hand, and a bible in the other, cited Timothy (1:2-3) urging people to get saved.
“I cannot say preaching is a crime because policing and preaching both promote peaceful existence, and living in harmony. But this officer withdrew from her lawful duties, went and engaged in another activity at the time she was supposed to be on duty,” SCP Namutebi said.
The above remarks have been received with mixed reactions.
While some felt the officer was right to preach at her convenience, others commented saying she was doing something good at the wrong time, and “against the organization policies,” in this case, Uganda Police Force.
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Online Readers React
“Touch not my anointed one. Affande Hadijah, simply advice the Officer on how to serve God without a Police uniform but if you dare and charge her for preaching the True Gospel, problems are awaiting you. The Late Idi Amin closed the first Pentecostal Church in Uganda (Makerere Full Gospel Church), imprisoned Christians and expelled the Missionaries. Just see how he ended and his entire family. Stand warned. Touch not God’s anointed one but simply advice her on the dress code,” one social media user commented.
“May God fight for you in this trial moment. Mistakes are human so don’t judge her because what she was doing was for God not for her own,” another stated.
“Sometimes we need wisdom. If one is deployed for duty(which you agree on before), why then would you do such an act . She is doing a good thing (preaching the good news) but the time is actually wrong. Believers let’s grow in wisdom as Christ did,” one social media user commented.
“Honestly if all of us left work and went to preach on streets how would life be? A teacher who is supposed to be in class, a doctor lives hospital,The bible tells us to do the right thing at the right time.let her go for leave then during the leave she can go on street to preach,” another said.
“Work well done officer. The Bible says never touch the anointed one. That senior officer who is trying to reprimand her, be assured that the God she serves on the streets will automatically uproot you out of that position or office. The God of Daniel and Elijah is her God, and ready to fight for her,” another said.
“The Bible doesn’t guarantee one to go against the organization policies. This woman has aright of exercising her Christianity but she was in organization uniform,” another said.
“There’s time for everything, let’s not pretend here. Emotional and silly sympathy that misleads.. Duty time has to be respected. Those hours for work are paid for… Unless preaching is part of her assignments. If not, then she absconded from duty. Cheating hours of work, leaving duty for your personal programs without authorization from your boss is not ethical. She abandoned duty, moreover from a sensitive department. The world doesn’t operate that way. Anyway, possible in Africa. Doing the right thing at a wrong time doesn’t prove your innocence. Let her meet the disciplinary committee, period. We all love God, but the same God commands us to work. Preaching is a good job done, but on her work schedule, it was at a wrong time. Let’s admit. However, Her act was not evil, I hope she’s given a pardon and not judged in a harsh manner,” another social media user commented.
Mrs Namutebi said the officer’s conduct was against the force protocol, however, she was not committal “on whether she will be arraigned before the Police Disciplinary Tribunal.”
She urged that not every officer who contradicts the force’s principles is arraigned in disciplinary court because “some are cautioned, counseled or guided so that they can become better officers.” Namutebi urged the Counter Terrorism directorate which is headed by AIGP Abbas Byakagaba was already handling the officer’s case at directorate level.
What Happens Else Where
In Kenya, Police officers were in 2019 banned from preaching while in official uniform, and cautioned that administrative action will be taken against cops who breach the directive.
In a memo, Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Edward Njoroge Mbugua said unless, within a police institution like colleges, it is unlawful for any police officer to preach donned in work uniform. “Officers are encouraged to separate official duties and private engagement and act appropriately,” he said.
In Russia, President Putin signed new restrictions in 2016 that limit where and how Christians share the gospel. The restrictions, including laws against sharing faith in homes, online, or anywhere, only allowed preaching the gospel in recognized church buildings.
