Police to monitor all meetings in Kampala

Kampala. Police officers have been ordered to monitor all events, ceremonies and functions in Kampala Metropolitan Police Area regardless of whether they are political or civil and submit reports to the CID headquarters.
The orders are contained in an internal message sent to all police commanders on Tuesday by the officer-in-charge of events at the Directorate of Crime Intelligence, Detective Superintendent of Police Moses Lukonge.
He gave the officers 10 days to have provided him a report on events expected in the next six months.
“You are instructed to compile and submit reports of all events, functions and ceremonies in your A.O.R (area of responsibility) from January to July 2019. Reports should reach this headquarters not later than January 18, 2019,” Mr Lukonge stated.
The police message does not clarify the type of meetings, ceremonies and events to be monitored.
It is not clear whether these include meetings for weddings, birthday celebrations, marriage anniversaries, memorial services or baptism parties.
On several occasions, police have blocked Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, from holding music concerts, which government labelled as political events.
On Boxing Day, Mr Kayagulanyi was blocked from holding an event at his One Love Beach in Busabala on allegations that it was not authorised by police.
He was also stopped from singing on two other events in Jinja District and Kampala.
Mr Kyagulanyi was also blocked from attending a church event in Buikwe District.
The police accuse him of organising public meetings under the guise of music concerts.
The officers, who received the message, said they understood it to mean that they are required to inform Crime Intelligence about the organisers, composition of guests and purpose on all meetings whether religious, political or ordinary meetings.
The CID spokesperson, Superintendent Vincent Ssekate, could neither confirm nor deny the issuance of the message on events and ceremonies.
“I don’t comment on internal issues, especially those that involve operations of crime intelligence. I don’t know whether the message you are talking about was issued or not,” SP Ssekate said.
The Directorate of Crime Intelligence was established a few years ago to replace the disbanded Special Branch whose tasks included collection of political intelligence at different levels and protect high profile people through detecting threat against them.