Police dispatch disciplinary units to Rwenzori region

By Simon Masaba

Three Police disciplinary units are in Rwenzori region in western Uganda to hear cases of security personnel accused of poor response to the July 5 attacks that claimed at least 92 lives  in Bundibugyo, Ntoroko and Kasese districts.

The  teams have been deployed to the scenes of crime in the different districts.

Bundibugyo district Police commander Alex Nkono Mwine and five others are held over their response to the Bundibugyo incidents.

Others who were by last evening  in Fort Portal Police custody are the intelligence officer, Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Thembo Jakwomya, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Jimmy Kasemelo, AIP Alex Nuwagaba,   Special Police Constable (SPC) Alfred Muhindo and SPC Sylvester Thembo, a driver. The accused are expected to appear before a disciplinary team in Bundibugyo today.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga last evening said the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) faulted the officers for negligence of duty and cowardice.

“They did not turn the warning signs into actionable points, causing the death of people during the attacks, including five Police officers, five UPDF soldiers, 10 civilians and 67 attackers gunned down.

“They downplayed intelligence that basically caused the failure of arming the Police in time,” Enanga said.

President Yoweri Museveni faulted security forces for not adequately detecting and responding to the threat in time.

Meanwhile, the security joint committee in Rwenzori region has arrested the political assistant of  Ntoroko district LC5 chairperson,  Timothy Kyamanywa, whom the Police have identified as Vincent Bwambale.

The Rwenzori region Police spokesperson, Bashir Bakari, told New Vision that Bwambale is among the people who attacked Ntoroko Police Station and grabbed a gun from a Police officer.

He said Bwambale was hiding but his luck run out over the weekend when he attempted to leave Ntoroko district heading for Kasese to hide.

“We followed him from Ntoroko. He boarded a Link bus from Fort Portal heading to Kasese. We had put road-blocks along the Fort Portal-Kasese highway and at Kibiito trading centre,  where we intercepted the bus and nabbed him. He will appear with his co-accused when the court martial resumes in Bundibugyo,” Bakari said.

Bwambale was also a member on the  public accounts committee in Ntoroko district local government.

Additional reporting by Hope Mafaranga and Dorcus Murungi