Nebanda death: Police ‘PR’ mess is hurting Museveni’s political interests

On August 12, 2010, Maj. Gen. Gen. Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police, addressed journalists at Uganda Media Centre. He warned them against reporting about the investigations into the July 11 twin bombings in Kampala.

Kayihura, who has since been promoted to Lieutenant General in the Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF), was particularly incensed that the media had published the photos of the terrorism suspects. But before the journalists attended Kayihura’s impromptu news conference, they had attended another news briefing where Brig. James Mugira, the Chief of Military Intelligence, had paraded the terrorism suspects.

Kayihura was shocked when journalists told him that they had everything: testimonies, photos etc. He even made public remarks denigrating Brig. James Mugira. This ‘uncoordinated movement of troops’ sparked off sharp criticism from the public; particularly those who lost dear ones in the deadly bomb attacks. People wondered why and how leaders of the security agencies were seeking self-glorification instead of giving the investigation the attention it deserved.

Some confession: I was involved in the management of the PR fall-out that resulted from this conflict of interest. And man, it was silly to ask friends in the newsroom NOT to… When Kayihura was promoted to Lieutenant General, Brig. James Mugira was also promoted to Major General. Known for his quiet and temperate character, Maj. Gen. Mugira now lives in near-anonymity as the managing director (or some such post) of the almost non-existent military industries. So, you now know who won that contest of the generals.

MP Nebanda death
A Member of Parliament dies in circumstances most have described as suspicious. The word ‘mystery’ is written all over the sudden death of Nebanda, a vocal ruling-party MP whose fringe positions border on the opposition.

The Inspector-General of Police, the Director of Police CID and Deputy Director of CID were some of the first persons to appear at the scene of the death (now scene of crime, since Police detects a criminal element in the death). So far so good.

Then usual self-immolation sets in. The local papers report the Inspector General of Police as saying that the death may have been caused by drug abuse. And that the dead had been in the company of a ‘very well-known’ drug dealer. Unless things changed recently, my understanding is that ‘a very well-known’ drug dealer can only be found in one place: prison via court.

Then the police arrested a Mulago hospital consultant pathologist with sample body tissues of the deceased. He was taking the samples for farther examination in South Africa. Police issued a statement on the arrest of Dr Sylvester Onzivua.

Minus all the entreaties in the statement, my attention was drawn to the phrase: “any person found to have contravened the law shall be dealt with accordingly”. Don’t even mind who signed (or wrote) the statement…it had an Amin-era ring to it.

Police PR mess
According to one of his students, Mr David Musoke (RIP) defined PR as a management function that helps an organisation to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding with its publics.
My definition is simple: PR, or public relations, constitutes the aggregate sum of the administrative management and execution of an institution’s mandate.

In which case, every action in the execution of a legal or legitimate mandate is a function of public relations. However, the primary function of PR is communication (or management thereof). But the word PR, particularly in government communications management, borders on propaganda. But unfortunately though, you can’t run a government communication on PR (propaganda).

Regarding the death of Cerinah Nebanda, Police’s communications management has been lacking in the over-all objective of PR: as a propaganda tool or execution of a legal mandate. Politics is a game of perception. And any government PR must be candid enough to address public perceptions and earn bon volonte (god will) from the publics.

As I was writing this piece, NTV reported that Dr Onzivua had been released from police custody. But my advice on the police’s PR mess still stands:
1. The Minister for Internal Affairs should step in and take over all communications on the matter.
2. Order for the unconditional release of Dr Sylvester Onzivua by nullifying the particulars of the police bond.
3. Drop all the funny charges against him.
4. Apologise to the public and Dr Onzivua.
This is now beyond the IGP and his police. Otherwise the police PR mess is hurting the government, President Museveni and the country. Incidentally the police doesn’t seem to have an honourable exit plan from this.

Other PR blunders
Yet this is not the first time government has failed in her communication management. On Tuesday October 11 2011, Parliament made a resolution requiring three senior Cabinet ministers to resign, pending investigations into allegations of bribery from oil companies.

The next day President Museveni was rushed to address the media in what was severally described as a panicky response to a hostile Parliament. In the same feisty haste, the President was also later to address a scheduled media briefing on October 16. Two news briefings in less than six days’ it was tellingly unusual.

In the wake of the Walk-to-Work protests, President Museveni was rushed to ‘address the nation’ on Bukedde TV and Radio in what was described (wrongly, I think) as a State of the Nation address. It was a hasty appearance that lacked the hallmark of administrative management.

Add to that the ‘Nairobi Incident’ when President Museveni was savaged by a hostile media in Nairobi over the mistreatment of FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye during the Walk-to-Work demos. And now ABETO (Always Be Tolerant), an NGO in the business of peace and peaceful resolution of conflicts. The President was scheduled to receive a peace award or something to that effect from ABETO.

And it seems all the invited guests declined to attend and hotel staff had to be mobilised to sit (stand) in for the invited guests. Up to now, it is still unknown whether this was a demonstration of public disapproval of the award recipient or ABETO itself.

Asuman Bisiika is the Executive Editor of the East Africa Flagpost