A senseless death
Jan 13, 2002
WHO IS responsible for Jimmy Ojotre Higenyi’s death? He was killed on Saturday afternoon in a burst of gunfire at a demonstration outside Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) headquarters at Uganda House.
WHO IS responsible for Jimmy Ojotre Higenyi’s death? He was killed on Saturday afternoon in a burst of gunfire at a demonstration outside Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) headquarters at Uganda House. Four others were injured. UPC should take the blame. But this does not mean the policemen who shot at the demonstrators are exonerated. It is absolutely inhuman to use lethal weapons to quell a demonstration. According to the police chief, no police officer on duty was authorised to carry live ammunition for the operation. But for some unknown reason, the officer in charge at Uganda House had his body guards with AK 47 assault rifles as if going to war. This was not a war. Their intentions should be investigated.Police had managed to block the planned UPC rally at Constitutional Square without any fracas. But then the shooting at Uganda House spoilt the otherwise successful police strategy. The incident thereafter gave UPC something to desperately harp on : equating police action to state sponsored terrorism.Over and above, UPC takes the blame. Party officials lured innocent people into attempting to participate in an illegal rally. This was wrong. However much the law could be unfair to political parties, there is no justification of breaking it. What UPC and others should be doing is lobby for the change of the law. Even legal recourse is available. It is clear police was sticking to article 269 of the Constitution that prohibits public rallies. And true that UPC was holding onto article 29 providing freedom of assembly. Which of the two takes precedence? UPC should have utilised the right to go to court for an answer. As for now, UPC misled the people into a rally and demonstration in which Higenyi was killed.