Police was not prepared for Besigye release - IGP

Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura (right), flanked by the Mwizi north regional police commander Hillary Kulayigye, addresses journalists in Mbarara last Sunday. PHOTO BY FELIX AINEBYOONA.

Mbarara- The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kayihura, has said police had not prepared well to handle followers of former Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, in Kampala when he was released from Luzira last Tuesday.

In trying to justify last week’s clobbering of Dr Besigye’s supporters in Kampala, who showed up to welcome him after he was granted bail, Gen Kayihura argued that they hadn’t prepared for his release.

“During last Tuesday and Wednesday Besigye processions in Kampala, there was no proper planning by the police since they were not aware that Besigye would be granted bail. But this time in Mbarara we were very well prepared. That is why we contained him with his rowdy crowds that provoked us with stones, and we did not disperse them but instead chose to control them through canalisation (guiding procession on routes to take),’’ Gen Kayihura said.

He was addressing journalists in Mbarara District on Sunday.
Police is in the spotlight for whipping followers of Dr Besigye last week.

Gen Kayihura applauded police for the way they handled crowds that were following Dr Besigye in Mbarara Town on Saturday.
Dr Besigye stopped to greet his supporters in Mbarara on his way to his home town of Rukungiri.

Gen Kayihura said Dr Besigye always acts victim so that the public can always portray police as brutal since they are usually provoked by rowdy crowds to use what is perceived as excessive force.