Security agencies warned

Apr 23, 2003

THE First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, has said the Police and other security custodians should not act outside the law if Uganda is to be fully democratised.

By Richard Otim

THE First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, has said the Police and other security custodians should not act outside the law if Uganda is to be fully democratised.

He said that from Uganda’s past experience, people had lost trust in their leaders due to atrocities committed by security agents.

He said Uganda had, however, reached a point when its citizens had acquired the political maturity to demand for political accountability from their leaders.

Kategaya was recently speaking to Police and Prisons officers from the mid-eastern region who were attending a course on “Security, an Integrated Approach” at Soroti Flying School.

Kategaya said with the political maturity in the country, security agents needed to be cautious while handling agitated citizens.

He said with the on-going call for a third term for the president from a section of supporters of the Movement system and other political demands, there were bound to be more public demonstrations.

“We are at a very fragile moment in our political transformation. This is the time when those taking care of public security need to be careful,” he said.

He said no Ugandan had cause to die without due process of the law, a reason security agents should carry out their duties within the confinement of the law.

He ordered that all those arrested, restricted or detained should be kept in places authorised by the law.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});