Following the public beating of Dr Kizza Besigye’s supporters in Kampala by police two weeks ago, Kale Kayihura, the inspector general of police will be required to appear in court on August 10 along with seven other senior police officials.
The criminal summons dated July 21 by the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court and reported by private newspaper the Daily Monitor on Tuesday were started against the eight senior police chiefs by private lawyers working as part of a civil rights group taking on cases in the public interest.
The incidents took place on July 13 and July 14 while Besigye was traveling to the FDC headquarters having answered treason charges in court in Nakawa, a district of Kampala. Four of the officers involved have already been charged by a police court for applying excessive force in their line of duty.
Speaking to a few Christians over the matter, IUIU law student finalist Mukunya David says that police has lost directions on how to effectively handle the reigning opposition tactics.
“If Besigye is their problem why don’t they concede him other than beating up innocent boda boda people who had parked in their working areas,” David says
David told UG Christina News that police brutality today is beyond the rightful image.
“One has to know that although orders come from above, there is no one in Uganda who is above the law by virtue of the 1995 constitution of the republic of Uganda as amended. The police is working under repugnance with the norm (law) of the land, and so they need to revise their roles,” David added
Else Where, IT manager at Holy Cross Family Ministries East Africa David Smik says that no one has a right to treat other with such force.
“The police has better ways of handling any situation. They shouldn’t flog people like that. There many means to use for they to contain any situation,”
Carol Musunga, married mother of 2 and a Christian marriage counselor says that such brutality was not called for. “Accountability, yes – why did they do it?”
The Rt Rev Dr D Zac Niringiye responded to claims from Kale Kayihura on Media bias saying, “whenever the police is caught in the act….through its spokesperson & IGP accuse journalists of doctoring news.”
Do you think the problem of police violence has gotten worse recently, or do you think it’s something the media is just more tuned into?
What we do know is, what is being revealed is horrific. One thing that we should note is that police need to be more accountable.
I would also add one more: We need to push for a zero tolerance policy for officers with past or present connections to hate groups.
Several officers across the country have recently been tied to hate groups either through chat room engagement or past membership. This should be a red herring for anyone given the ultimate authority—the legal authority to take another citizen’s right.
male@ugchristiannews.com/Photo – James Akena/Reuters
