Teary Kampala protestors denounce Police

By Francis Emorut

Over 1000 peaceful protestors took to the streets in the outskirts of Kampala denouncing the Police force and other security agencies for inhuman treatment against suspects.

The protestors belonging to different civil society organisations across the country demanded for the resignation of internal affairs minister Hillary Onek, his deputy James Baba and the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, saying they should take political responsibility since the Police falls under their docket.

The demonstrators, who marched from Sir Apollo Kagwa Road and joined the Wandegeya–Nakulabye road, held placards with different messages urging the Police to respect women’s breasts and stop manhandling suspects.

The protestors, organised under the umbrella of Development Network of Indigeneous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA), waved placards to pedestrians and motorists who were using the same roads.

DENIVA vice-chairperson Patrick Kayemba explained that it appears that the Government is using its apparatus to suppress alternative voices.

“It’s a Constitutional mandate for any Ugandan to enjoy their right of assembly and freedom of expression. We are not going to allow the dehumanising way of handling suspects,” DENIVA board chairperson Jane Nakintu said.

The demonstrators, who were largely women were enraged by the recent arrest of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) women’s league leader Ingrid Turinawe, whose breasts were squeezed by the Police.

“We want to show our displeasure over the Police brutality when arresting suspects.

The protestors also implored the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi to take action, saying the apology was not enough.

Before the protestors marched to the streets, they were moved by women from Teso and Karamoja region who shed tears over the dehumanising manner against women by security operatives.

The wome literally cried when they recalled a teenage girl of 15 who was allegedly gang raped by security operatives recently, severely damaging her private parts.

“The girl can no longer walk and she has been kept away from the public only her mother is allowed to visit her once in a while,” Dinah Nayor testified as she wiped tears from her face.

The protestors were guarded by the Police under the command of Stella Asio, the head of Child and Family Protection Unit Wandegeya.

Asio commended the demonstrators for exhibiting calmness during the procession.

The Police managed to keep away idlers and drug addicts in the slums of Makerere Kivulu and Katanga.