Police driver who knocked Besigye supporter arrested

Police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, parades Constable Benon Matsiko to the media at Naguru. Photo by Joseph Kato.

What you need to know:

An NTV video last month showed a police patrol truck shove an unidentified man who was among the crowd waving to FDC’s Dr Kizza Besigye last month

Police have arrested their own driver who deliberately knocked a supporter of former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye at Kyebando, Kampala, on July 12.

Mr Benon Matsiko, a police pickup driver working with Kira Road Police Station, was Thursday paraded before journalists by Mr Andrew Kaweesi, the newly appointed special police spokesperson, and Mr Fortunate Habyara, the commandant of the Professional Standards Unit (PSU).

Mr Kaweesi explained that the police delayed to arrest the driver because the video footages were not clear and the victim has since not bothered to record a statement with police.

On July 30, NTV broadcast a video footage of a police truck knocking down a civilian who was standing on the roadside cheering Dr Besigye who had just been released on bail after spending 60 days in prison over treason charges.

Mr Habyara last week told Daily Monitor that they were finding difficulty in identifying the exact pickup truck that had knocked the civilian since NTV and NBS video footages had not clearly captured the spot.

Mr Kaweesi and Mr Habyara further identified the vehicle that knocked the civilian as UP 4832. The duo said they had proof that the truck was the one used to knock down the civilian.

“I want to commend NTV for giving us the video footage when we wrote to them. I also want to appreciate the efforts Mr Habyara and his team have used to identify the vehicle and suspect,” Mr Kaweesi said.

The police spokesperson said they were still looking for the victim to help them in finalising their investigations. He appealed to the victim to go to any nearby police station to record statement, which he said is vital in their investigation.

Currently, nine police officers and a crime preventer are facing trial in the police tribunal for beating up Dr Besigye supporters on July 12 and 13.

Asked on what actions the police have taken to arrest Mr Yusuf Lubowa who featured in video kicking Dr Besigye supporter after he had been knocked by the police vehicle, Mr Kaweesi, said the police would arrest him. “If we have arrested our own officer, then who is that civilian? We shall definitely arrest him,” Mr Kaweesi said.

Saturday Monitor identified Mr Lubowa a week after the footage went viral but the police have since not arrested him. Mr Lubowa works with police officers in operations trailing Dr Besigye and is said to be a leader of the Boda Boda National Security group.