Police flying squad suspends operation in Rwenzori
Police chief Kale Kayihura addressing the media. Police Flying Squad said it had suspended its operations in the Rwenzori Sub-region. File photo
KASESE: Uganda police force has suspended operations of the Police flying squad from Rwenzori sub region but will be called back when the situation prompts so.
The police spokesperson for Rwenzori sub region, Ms Lydia Tumushabe confirmed that the operations of the Flying squad in the Rwenzori region have been suspended.
“It is true we have suspended the operations of the police flying squad in the area but they will still come in if need arises to continue with their work,” she said.
The suspension of police operation was first revealed by the NRM vice chairperson for Eastern Uganda Capt. Mike Mukula during the prayers organized by the district Interreligious council over the weekend.
Mukula was sent in the region by government as a peace broker following post-election violence that left over 40 people dead including civilians, police and army.
Two weeks ago, Police Flying Squad clashed with King Mumbere’s royal guards in Kasese town as they pursued a suspect they believed to have snatched a gun from a policeman after killing him.
Since then King Mumbere asked the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura to withdraw the force which he said was terrorizing his people in the area by shooting from a market area during day time and with plain clothes.
Mukula who was the chief celebrant at the Inter-religious Prayers organized to pray for peace in the Rwenzori region on Saturday said, “I want to assure you that problems of Rwenzori cannot be solved by use of guns now but need a political solution. Our problem right now is not political parties but rather peace in our region. We can reconcile our problems if you leaders reconciled”.
He however warned people to desist from tribal and ethnic differences if they are to develop saying that the issue of tribalism have crossed Africa giving an example of genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Mukula said that the people of Rwenzori region have lost business and will continue losing it after tourists that would boost business have canceled their trips to both Queen Elizabeth and Rwenzori mountains national park respectively.
Mukula added that issues of the Kasese are centered on land, health services and education and marginalization of minority groups among other reasons.
Mr Thembo Kitsumbire, the Rwenzururu kingdom prime minister who represented King Mumbere at the function asked Mr Mukula to tell the president that use of guns will never bring peace in Kasese and Rwenzori sub-region.
