Mr Nicholas Opiyo, one of the private prosecutors to the trial of Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura says that the “demonstrators” outside Makindye Chief Magistrates’ court on Wednesday appear to have been assembled.
These held placards reading: ‘Community lives because police exists’, ‘Police is for us not against us’, Gen Kayihura Talina Musango’, ‘Uganda Police Force Equals People’s Force’, Police needs justice not injustice’.
Mr Nicholas Opiyo took to social media images of the men he alleges were behind the assemblage, and that the demonstrators were deployed between 6.30am and 6.58am.
When Court commenced hearing the case, the demonstrators ran about the court premises, closing the door to the chambers of the Chief Magistrate Richard Mafabi, a move reportedly interpreted as effort to intimidate and sabotage the magistrate’s proceedings.
With additional re-enforcement from the authorities, the situation was still no longer possible to manage.
A meeting between the private prosecutors, representatives of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and Mr Mafabi, the Chief Magistrate was held in the chambers of the Chief Magistrate.
“Barricaded in the Chambers of the Chief Magistrates Court of Makindye. Rowdy protesters want to beat up lawyers representing complainants,” Nicholas Opiyo tweeted.
Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago said: “I can’t believe what am witnessing at Makindye court; total breakdown of rule of law. Now confined in the Magistrate’s chambers as the situation in court’s premises is fluid”
Freelance journalist in East Africa Michael O’Hagan reported that: “Demonstrators organised into chanting crowd, some don’t appear to understand what their placards say,”
He further alleged that all placards were in 4 colors only, and that they appeared to have been written in the same handwriting.
IGP Kale Kayihura and seven other officers failed to appear in court. Court was told that Gen. Kayihura had flown to Nairobi to meet his Kenyan counterpart to discuss regional security matters.
About 40 lawyers were expected to prosecute the accused over recent cases of police brutality.
The Chief Magistrates allowed Director of Public Prosecution to formally file an application for consideration to join the case trial, as it stood adjourned to 29th August, 2016.
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
