Outrage after armed military officer filmed harassing traffic officer
A video grab of a military police officer harassing a traffic policeman for failing to clear the way for them.
What you need to know:
- A police source said the scuffle ensued after some military officers who were driving in a green vehicle Reg. No. D02DF08P ordered the traffic officer to clear the way for them. The officer, however, told them to be patient.
A video recording showing a military police officer dragging a traffic officer by his collar in a scuffle over traffic congestion near Mukwano Mall, Kampala has left social media users in Uganda outraged.
Police said the incident captured in the video happened on Monday at around 6pm
A police source said the scuffle ensued after some military officers who were driving in a green vehicle Reg. No. H4DF B02 ordered the traffic officer to clear the way for them. The officer, however, told them to be patient.
"The military police officers were stuck in a traffic jam, one of the crews got off the car and approached the traffic officer, and a military man ordered the traffic officer to open the road for them. The traffic officer told them to be patient since there was a lot of traffic jam. To his surprise, he was just grabbed by the collar. A scuffle ensued and a bullet was discharged by one of the military police officers and it damaged someone's car. Their commander is saying the whole crew has been arrested," a police source said.
Many Ugandans have taken to social media where the video went viral, to scold what they have described as growing impunity among armed officers on the roads.
Reactions
One Awintong with twitter hande @ElijahBryant18 wondered who's in charge of the country.
"Who is running this country," he asks.
"Look at this, it's really absurd. You should always respect someone's job most especially when that person is doing his/her work," Ezinga Ronnie tweeted.
"This time the “hOw DiD wE gEt HeRe?” Won’t come outside, they’re busy eating cake at the kids birthday," ands JEFF reacted.
Kintu, African Giant, said: "The entitlement that people who drive with armed escort have here in UG is insane! Something needs to be done about it IMMEDIATELY."
“The rest of us are in big trouble if uniform is not respecting uniform,” Hon. Mubarak Munyagwa reacted on Twitter.
“Last time UPDF soldiers showed discipline on road was when Gen Aronda was CDF. The undisciplined were Police under Gen Kaihura. Army is now unhinged & in sewer where it has found Police. Rest of govt drivers (bosses inside) drive like they live in sewer where no rules for rats!” Charles O. Bichachi reacted.
For more comments, see 👉: A military police officer filmed dragging a traffic officer by his collar in a scuffle over traffic congestion
Related incidents
Yesterday's incident comes just months after another traffic officer was shot in the leg by a UPDF soldier who found him towing to police a military vehicle that had been involved in a road crash.
The bullet damaged the artery in his leg prompting medical experts to amputate it.
