Police on the spot over harassment, extortion during curfew

Police in Busia District have come under fire from the residents over the manner in which they carry out operations to enforce the curfew.

 On Tuesday, residents from Tiira Town Council held protests over the alleged harassment and torture they have faced from the police.

They also accused the police of extortion.
Police fired live bullets in the air to disperse the protestors.

Mr Moses Wandera, a resident, said: “Every night, residents who move past curfew hours are arrested, beaten and have their money taken by the police.”

Mr Hassan Omunyu, another resident, said the protests started after police allegedly tortured and arrested one Sadat Mugoya as he returned from watching a football match between Manchester United and West Ham united on Sunday night.

“I was with Mugoya and we were on our way back from watching a football match when we saw the police patrol team. We ran to our rooms but Mugoya was not lucky as police continued to pursue him to his place, ordered him to open the door and when he refused, they broke it down,” Mr Omunyu narrated.

Mr Moses Wandera, Mugoya’s neighbour, said he heard police breaking the door and heard shots fired in the air twice.

“At first I thought it was a robbery, but when I moved out, I saw policemen breaking the door,” he said, adding that after police removed the door, they entered the room, arrested Mugoya and started beating him.

“I heard him yelling and crying out for help as he was being beaten and led to Tiira Police Station,” Mr Wandera added.
Mr Wandera, said police could have been targeting the Shs7.6m which Mr Mugoya had cashed in after selling gold earlier in the day.

“We are beginning to think this was a robbery and that police went for Mugoya’s money under the guise of curfew,” Mr Wandera said. 
Mr Mugoya, a gold miner, whose face was swollen and bruised and could hardly walk, said police used a bicycle wire lock to hit him.

He wondered why Police would subject him to such treatment.
Mr Alex Okello, the Tiira Village chairperson and victim’s landlord, said he had received several complaints about the police’s use of force while implementing curfew directives.

POLICE REACTS
Mr Moses Mugwe, the Bukedi Region police spokesperson,  denied reports that police had broken down the door of one of the residents in the process of arrest, saying the door was ‘old’ and ‘collapsed on it’s own’ during the arrest.

“As police, we never broke down the door; these are allegations meant to distract us from our work during the enforcement of the curfew,” he said.
He said the residents were throwing stones at the police which forced them to pursue one to his house.

Mr Mugwe has, however, promised to investigate allegations of extortion and if the complaints were proved right, the officers would be reprimanded.

[email protected]