Museveni to Police: beating civilians unacceptable

By Moses Walubiri

President Yoweri Museveni is to summon Police top brass to demand an explanation over alleged police brutality.

Commenting about the recent alleged highhandedness of police officers in handling of civilians, Museveni said: “Why a police officer should beat up a civilian. Even barking at a civilian is not good. If a civilian becomes violent, handcuff him. Beating civilians is unacceptable to NRM. That behaviour belongs to different era," Museveni said.

Police recently came under the spotlight when some of its officers allegedly undressed an FDC female official who was part of Col. Kizza Besigye's entourage to Rukungiri. But police insist the woman deliberately stripped.

The chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) attributed the mess in the recent party primaries to possible "infiltration" of the party's Electoral Commission (EC) by saboteurs, saying some incidents are "simply unexplainable."
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"You find ballot papers of a given area get lost but a returning officer announces results without putting into consideration those in affected areas. Goodness me, who does these kind of things?" Museveni asked opening a meeting of the NRM National Executive Committee on Saturday at State House Entebbe.

Chairperson of NRM's EC, Dr. Tanga Odoi has under criticism over the irregularities that marred last month's NRM primaries in some areas of the country.

However, Museveni, despite some lawmakers and district chairpersons present chorusing, "Tanga, Tanga," refused to blame Tanga Odoi for the glitches that have seen a number of losers petition the party's EC.

"You might find there is infiltration in Tanga Odoi's office. How can one send 100 ballot papers to a polling station with 300 voters?  If you work in a systematic way and find out the people responsible for dispatching such ballot papers, some of these problems can be solved," Museveni said.