Police brutality: Government, opposition to lock horns in Parliament
Police beat Besigye supporters recently. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
What you need to know:
- Either Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odong or his deputy, Mr Obiga Kania will explain to the House what triggered the clobbering of Dr Besigye’s supporters
- Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi and the Shadow Attorney General Winfred Nuwagaba will also table an Opposition motion, demanding a parallel Parliamentary investigation
PARLIAMENT
A showdown looms in Parliament on Wednesday as government prepares to table a statement about the brutality meted out by the police on Dr Kizza Besigye’s supporters while the Opposition is also expected to present a motion on the same subject.
Either Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odong or his deputy, Mr Obiga Kania will explain to the House what triggered the clobbering of Dr Besigye’s supporters by masked goons commanded by police and plain-clothed operatives in the city last week.
Mr Kania told Parliament on Tuesday that his statement would help “the debate “about the conduct of police against the Opposition.
"With a lot of respect to this House, we are determined to get to the details of this matter (of police brutality).We will give this House a comprehensive position. The debate on the police will help us as Ministry to see what we can do, " Mr Kania said.
Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi and the Shadow Attorney General Winfred Nuwagaba will also table an Opposition motion, demanding a parallel Parliamentary investigation into the conduct of police, on the ground that the Force cannot be trusted to investigate its own wrongs.
Shadow information Minister Apollo Kantinti (Kyadondo East,FDC) said the Opposition motion will also demand that action be taken on senior police officers who commanded the operations in which Dr Besigye’s supporters were beaten with truncheons as they celebrated his release from a two-month incarceration in Luzira Prison.
“The police are hoodwinking Ugandans and trying to preempt a credible investigation. That is why they have started that investigation which is not investigation senior officers. We want a Parliament committee to investigate the beating of Dr Besigye’s supporters,”Mr Kantinti said on Tuesday.
With police coming under fire from rights groups and lawyers the force charged five police constables and a crime preventer, but left the senior officers who were in command to walk away scot free.
Kampala Metropolitan Police (KPM) Operations commander James Ruhweza and KMP South commander Andrew Kagwa only recorded statements with Professional Standards Unit but have not appeared before the Police court.
Relatedly, Security Minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde is expected to table a statement explaining the recent waves of attacks on security installations like police and military barracks.
