Mukebezi on UPDF: They shoot to kill, cause pain  

 Robert Mukebezi

What you need to know:

“The army has never stopped Mukebezi’s treatment. The hospital has never stopped giving him services. Our medical department has never stopped the hospital from treating this guy. We made the artificial limbs so he is not going to buy them anywhere. We have them. It is not him going into the media that will make him receive [the prosthetic limb]; it is his communication with the medical team that will. Things are done with relevant authorities,” Army spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye

My name is Robert Mukebezi. I was a traffic policeman attached to Kira Road Police Station. 
Since January 16, 2022—when I was shot by UPDF while we were removing an accident car—up to today, I have never seen anybody from UPDF or Ministry of Defence.
I have never seen any police top administrators or even sat with any of them  to discuss this issue.
[When] I was shot, two people who claimed to be from UPDF came in civilian clothes with the DPC in Mulago. They took me to Bukoto. Since that day, I have never seen them again. They don’t take or return my calls. 
They told me that they had put me on UPDF insurance. But when we went to the hospital recently for treatment, the people working on insurance told us that they stopped them from giving me treatment and referred me to Bombo.
When I contacted the head of the hospital, they said UPDF told them that they have spent a lot of money treating me. 
They added that they have stopped there and I should start treating myself. They told me this on the phone. I even started crying. My wife and I were in the hospital that day. The person ended the call and yet it was me that had even called.
There was a boy in that hospital who was surprised by the outcome. He said to me: “Let me first help you as you also try to negotiate with them to treat you.” We got the treatment and came back, but there is a probability that either we might stop there if the hospital head says so or if they will hear our account of events.
I am planning to go to the hospital head to ask for this in writing in the coming days. They have never promised me any treatment honestly.
Police still give me a salary. They have never dismissed me. If they do, I will sit home. I got the problem while on duty. When a police officer gets any problem while on duty, they are supposed to cater for my bills. 
In my case, I have never seen anybody coming out to help me, except when I was in ICU during the first week.
The police gave us  Shs1m. 
My wife signed for it, although it didn’t sit well with me. That was in January. At the start of March, they brought us Shs600,000.
Recently when children were returning to school, we called the person that had brought us this money. The person said that they had gone to Welfare and were informed that I need to account for the Shs1.6m they gave me. They needed receipts, but how can someone make accountability while on oxygen in the ICU! Even if you get better, how do you start asking the people that have been taking care of you how much they have been spending on you?
I have been working for the police force for seven years, and my record is clean. I know that the police has a welfare department that is supposed to cater for the wellbeing of policemen and handle issues such as injuries in line of duty. I didn’t want to forge the receipts because I am a staunch Christian.
This habit of soldiers beating people is growing, and so far we are four that have suffered at the hands of the UPDF. 
Each time you hide someone that has done bad, the bad will not go away. Those that shot me were three people. The car had the owner. The Major also had a double cabin pick-up. He attempted to shoot me, but the bullet missed me. A corporal shot me using an AK47. They shoot either to kill or cause permanent damage.
To date, none of these people have been held accountable. These people that we serve only want to see us working. When you get a problem, they forget about you. The ones that have shot you are not held accountable. I remember it was in February, they came, took a statement from me for perusal and advice. Recently, when I asked how far my file for attempted murder had reached at the CID. They told me that the file is not yet sanctioned. What the state will tell us is what we shall do.


Army spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye
The army has never stopped Mukebezi’s treatment. The hospital has never stopped giving him services. Our medical department has never stopped the hospital from treating this guy. We made the artificial limbs so he is not going to buy them anywhere. We have them. It is not him going into the media that will make him receive [the prosthetic limb]; it is his communication with the medical team that will. Things are done with relevant authorities.

We have never stopped doing what we offered to do for him. It is not out of compassion. It was a responsibility we undertook and we have never stopped doing it. We are still investigating the officers that shot him. It is one individual that is on the run and we are still looking for him.

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