Uganda Police Force must be impartial

Police on Thursday confirmed that they had arrested 56 people allegedly for unlawful assembly.
The suspects picked from Kyadondo East constituency, Wakiso District, had been arrested on Wednesday, July 19 and detained at the dreaded Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja District.
They were reportedly mobilising citizens to oppose a plan by ruling NRM members to amend Article 102(b) of the 1995 Constitution that puts a 75-year limit on eligibility for the presidency. On Wednesday President Museveni, currently 73 and will be 77 in 2021, dismissed the age limit debate as speculation peddled by “undisciplined members”.

FDC officials said the arrested were holding a consultative meeting ahead of the party’s November elections.
Police spokesperson Asan Kasingye in a statement said the 56 men and women were held on charges of holding “unlawful assemblies”. He quoted a number of laws, including Section 55 of the Penal Code Act, section 55 of the Penal Code Act and Section 5 of the Public Order Management Act.

Amnesty International’s regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, Muthoni Wanyeki, however, described police’s action as “patently absurd” and accused the Force of continuing to employ a “deeply-flawed” Public Order Management Act “to crack down on the Opposition and civil society”. Amnesty International called for the unconditional release of the suspects.

We opine that while it is not illegal for police to legally detain a suspect in any part of the country, the Force must not abuse this discretion. An offence should be inquired into and tried in the area it was committed.
Police authorities owe the country some answers. What were the reasons for detaining the FDC supporters and leaders in Nalufenya yet there were nearby police stations in Kasangati, Kira and Naggalama?

The facility at Nalufenya has been used to detain high profile suspects such as former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) leader Jamil Mukulu and the Kampala bomb suspects. Does being suspected of illegal assembly constitute a high profile crime?
Why were lawyers and relatives barred from meeting the suspects at Nalufenya? On Thursday police arrested DP president Norbert Mao and other party leaders and detained them in the jurisdiction of their alleged crime. They were allowed visits and food from their relatives and many, including Mr Mao, were released on police bond. Why would suspects arrested on a seemingly similar charge be treated differently?