SFC involved in partisan politics, says DP

By Sandra Ampiire

The Democratic Party (DP) has accused the Special Forces Command (SFC) of being involved in partisan politics and persecuting some of its supporters in Entebbe during the 2016 general elections.

The party's publicity secretary Kenneth Kakande told a press conference on Tuesday that the SFC were involved in the shooting of James Ssewankambo, 29, and  Ronald Bbosa, 26,during the Entebbe mayoral elections on March 2.

A married father of one, Ssewankambo was shot in the left leg and as he tried to run, was shot again in the right lower abdomen.

 His colleague Bbosa, who is also married and with two children, took a bullet in the right knee as he tried to help Ssewankambo.  

"As we ran for our dear lives, one particular soldier aimed at my leg. As I was struggling to get up, he shot me again in the abdomen, and also shot my friend who was trying to help me," said Bbosa.

On his part, Kakande said their claims are not baseless.

"The SFC which is supposed to be doing special duties has since become an authority in politics especially in Entebbe areas. They shot two of our supporters, so we are not speaking out of the blue," said Kakande.

The SFC is a coveted unit of the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) charged with the mandate of safeguarding the president.

DP's Vincent Kayanja won the elections.

Leonard Ssenoga, the Entebbe municipality DP chairman, said that despite the fact that they reported the incident to Entebbe police, the case reference number was never disclosed to them.

James Ssewankambo (left) and Ronald Bbosa, the DP party members of Entebbe municipality who were reportedly shot at. (Credit: Danielle Nalukenge)

He said that since then, they have sought the intervention of the SFC commander Maj. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the inspector general of police Gen. Kale Kayihura and the UPDF chief of defence forces, Gen. Katumba Wamala but that nothing has been done yet.

"These young men have been undergoing treatment and government has not done anything about it. They are their family bread winners so at least those responsible should compensate them."

Kakande threatened to drag the SFC to the Uganda Human Rights Commission and to the courts of law to seek legal redress.

In the light of the claims, SFC spokesman Maj. Chris Magezi said the two men were part of a group that attacked a military vehicle.

"These two victims were among a group of rowdy opposition youth that attacked a military jeep patrol with stones and broken bottles as part of the ‘defiance campaign'. The soldiers returned fire in self-defense."

Cautioning the public never to attack any law enforcement security officers in the hope of getting away with it, Magezi wondered why DP's Kakande and the likes have never been shot at in order to ‘gag' their political views yet they are more vocal than the said victims.

The Uganda Human Rights Commission in a report released in May indicated that state security organs like the police and army were involved in violating human rights during and after the 2016 general elections.