Police arm heavily ahead of elections

Kampala

Are your planning to cause trouble during the upcoming elections or afterward? Then prepare for an aggressive confrontation with the police, who yesterday imported more than a dozen new tear-gas vehicles, water cannons and pepper sprayers for crowd control. The high-tech, anti-riot gear are among a consignment of 50-plus automobiles, including troop carriers and buses, supplied by a Chinese-based firm.

Show of might
They were shipped through Dar es Salaam, and according to one transporter, the fleet left the southern Mutukala border post with Tanzania at around 1am on Saturday night, arriving in Kampala between 2pm and 3pm.

Curious onlookers gathered by the roadsides, some discussing among themselves in hushed tones, as the convoy snaked through the afternoon traffic gridlock at Kireka, a city suburb.

The teargas trucks in blue and red hues, boldly marked Uganda Police, were ferried aboard Tanzanian-registered trailers that by 4pm had all been parked at Naguru Police Barracks, east of Kampala. Mr Godfrey Bangirana, the police director for logistics and engineering, declined to speak on details and cost of the consignment.

Daily Monitor visited Naguru Police Barracks and counted at least 16 teargas vehicles/water cannons alongside three buses, two fork lifters, more than a dozen lorries, three fire tenders and four water tankers.

Opposition concerns
The Shadow Internal Affairs Minister, Mr Hussein Kyanjo, said he suspects the police have imported the anti-riot gadgets to terrorise opposition supporters during the February 18 vote. He said: “Probably the police are preparing for what they are sure will happen most likely from the government side…they are ready for repression. The police are not acting out of the blue and the timing raises suspicion.”

But Ms Mary Karooro-Okurut, the spokesperson for the ruling NRM party, last night described MP Kyanjo’s allegations as “laughable hallucinations”. “How can he say the President will lose when all independent opinion polls have placed candidate Museveni in commanding lead?” she said.

Afrobarometer, a research organisation operating in some 20 African countries, reported last month that Mr Museveni would have won the upcoming election with 66 per cent had the voting taken place between November 18 and December 6, 2010.

Necessary tools
Earlier, Police Spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba told this newspaper that the anti-riot equipment were planned and budgeted for some time back and their arrival on an election eve is but just coincidental. “They are necessary for our work, especially public order management,” she said. “We are not anticipating it to happen [during voting], but if it comes, how are we going to handle?”

The police have in the past come under criticism for the manner in which they handle riots. In September 2009, the Force was accused of largely being behind the deaths of over 20 people killed during riots after the Kabaka was blocked from going to Kayunga.

Also, the current commission investigating the Kasubi fire has heard that the military police opened fire on people mourning the torching of the tombs, killing three instantly. Mr Kyanjo adduced photos to the commission to back this claim.