Police disown masked goons

KAMPALA. Police have said they don’t know the plain-clothed masked men who stood with them shoulder-to-shoulder and beat up Dr Kizza Besigye’s supporters as he returned from prayers at Forum for Democratic Change Party headquarters at Najjanankumbi on Tuesday.
Mr Abbas Byakagaba, the Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, condemned the acts of the masked men and said he had ordered his head of investigations department to investigate the group.
“I would like to disassociate the police from the actions of those individuals.... We don’t support such actions. We condemn people taking the law into their own hands,” Mr Byakagaba said yesterday in a press briefing at Kampala Metropolitan Police headquarters.

According to Mr Byakagaba, they [police] had agreed with Dr Besigye on several issues to avoid confrontations in the city and there was “very good cooperation”.
Without provocation, masked men driving in numberless vehicles that were escorted by several police patrols vehicles sprayed pepper on motorcyclists who were believed to be supporters of Dr Besigye. After blinding the motorcyclists, the masked men would beat them up using electric cables and clubs as police officers looked on.

Mr Byakagaba said he doesn’t agree with what happened, but he declined to state whether it was criminal or not. “A general enquiry file will be opened for the investigations. It will lead us to whether the incidents were criminal or indiscipline,” he said, adding that police had rules of engagement on when they should use force. Asked whether the masked men were police officers, Mr Byakagaba was evasive. “That is what the investigations will reveal,” he said.
This isn’t the first time plain-clothed men armed with clubs guarded by police have attacked civilians. The first group, dubbed Kiboko Squad, emerged from Central Police Station Kampala during the protests of the give-away of part of Mabira Forest to investors to grow sugarcane in 2007. Police then denied being the masterminds of the stick-wielding group.

FDC spokesman Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said they don’t expect much from the police investigations. “How can thugs investigate thugs? Are they investigating whether the beating wasn’t insufficient?” Mr Ssemujju said. He added that police denial of what happened in broad-daylight just makes the institution “look stupid”. “Where did they get pepper spray and batons that a tax payer’s money is spent on? They know that what they are doing is illegal that is why they hire criminal gangs,” he said.
Coordinator of Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda Crispy Kaheru said: “They were swift and proactive when dealing with Power 10 members. I am not sure the police statement will assure the public that they will take action against the group,” Mr Kaheru said.

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