I’m playing the devil’s advocate: Sgt Namagganda needs debrief
The drive of an off-the-roll (retired) military general made a U-turn on a part of the road where making a U-turn was prohibited. Traffic police officer, Sergeant Esther Namaganda materialised; and with her a case of a traffic offence against the driver.
Typical of off-the-roll (and off-the-role) Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza’s intemperate demeanour, he is said to have gotten out of the vehicle and slapped Sgt Namaganda.
In a clear case of Citizen Journalism, another motorist captured the incident in video clip using his or her phone camera. And as would be expected, the video went viral.
So much was the public interest in the matter that Parliament passed a resolution calling on President Museveni to censure Gen Kyalogonza by removing him from his current assignment as Ambassador of Uganda to Burundi.
Although Mr Museveni is under no obligation to implement the Parliament’s resolution, the weight of a parliamentary censure resolution is not lost on any politician or civil servant pursuing a career to. But Gen Kyaligonza is not such a politician or diplomat; he is on a social security portfolio managed by President Museveni.
In my self-assignment as a devil’s advocate, I say: In spite of all else, Sgt Namaganda still had options to act (or respond) in a manner that could have avoided the altercation. Unfortunately, she didn’t (or chose not to) deploy any of those options.
I am not here to defend Gen Kyaligonza. I am only denying someone the opportunity to get the emotional side of me and drag it into what I see as a clear case of field (operational) conduct. Needless to say, I am confident that there are two clear cases:
There is a case of assault (against Gen Kyaligonza) and some traffic offence or other (against Gen Kyaligonza’s driver). But please, dear reader, Sgt Namaganda’s gender (she is female) should not be given prominence in order to whip emotions and consequently portray Gen Kyaligonza as a savage…
Here is my devil’s argument: The offending vehicle in which the cantankerous Gen Matayo Kyaligonza was travelling had a Matriculation ID (number plate). One wonders why Sgt Namaganda couldn’t have booked the offending vehicle and refer the matter for further management.
Fieldwork (operations) demands dynamism in decision making. One must know when to quit (refer the matter for further management); otherwise insisting on solving (or sorting) one case could easily ruin your day (and remember, everything ends in your file; for those pursuing careers in the armed forces).
Right now, inviting people to further study the video clip in which Gen Kyaligonza had an altercation is really useless because the public is more interested in censuring Gen Kyaligonza than knowing the truth (and probably helping Sgt Namaganda improve on her skills of managing field operations).
If Sgt Namaganda had three cases of the Gen Kayligonza type, would she even post in anything on the mandate of managing traffic flow? You have heard of police traffic officers slapping motorists, have you not? You have heard of traffic police forcefully taking car keys from motorists, have you not?
That is what they call VA (Vigilante Attitude) in field operations. You have heard of soldiers called Suicide… I would not allow that in a unit under my command. Never.
Sgt Namaganda, public condemnation of Gen Kyaligonza will not improve your work. The boda boda guys will still make a U-turn in front of you. Wama, you need a debriefing.
Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East African Flagpost.
