IGP Ochola apologizes to Bishop Kaggwa over Mityana teargas

The Inspector-General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola on Tuesday sent a high-powered delegation to Masaka to apologise to Rtd Emeritus John Baptist Kaggwa.

This follows a Saturday incident in which Police in Mityana district used teargas to disperse members of Buganda Kingdom's Mbogo Clan. They had convened at their ancestral site at Mugulu - Ziggoti Town Council to attend thanksgiving prayers for their leader, Elder Gajuule Kayiira Kasibante.

Kaggwa was leading mass at the event to celebrate the appointment of Omutaka Namwama Augustine Nsereko as the head of Buganda's 52 clans by the Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II to replace Kasibante when police fired teargas intending to disperse a crowd that had assembled at the gate.

Unfortunately, the wind blew the teargas towards the main tent affecting some elderly congregants who had assembled at the venue. This sparked off protests from the Buganda Kingdom.

On Tuesday, a delegation of senior officers on behalf of Ochola met Bishop Kaggwa at his home in Masaka to deliver apologies to him, his family and the Catholic Church fraternity.  The delegation was led by AIGP Asan Kasingye the Chief Political Commissar of the Force.

In a statement released, Kasingye noted that "Today, I led a delegation of senior officers on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, to purposely meet the Rtd Emeritus John Baptist Kaggwa at his home in Masaka. We delivered apologies to him, his family and the catholic church fraternity, over the disruptions caused during the thanksgiving ceremony of the Mbogo clan at the clan headquarters in Mugulu village, in Singo."

Kasingye further noted that the IGP carried out a thorough review and evaluation of the incident, and acknowledges the operational lapse which led to the use of teargas that spread and impacted on the congregation and the public.

"He extended further apologies in addition to the earlier ones made, regarding this regrettable incident.  He applauded the Bishop for his resilient and steadfast leadership during this disruptive incident by the territorial police.  

He further requested that all leaders (including religious leaders) should always involve the Police in programmes such as these for better coordination during this COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 transmission among the entire public," Kasingye added.

Kasingye thanked the general public for the support so far in the fight against the pandemic.

Addressing the press at the Uganda Media Center on Monday, Police spokesman Fred Enanga noted that police was prompted to fire teargas to stop big gathering in a bid to stop further spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Enanga blamed police action to politicians like Francis Zaake of Mityana, and David Kalwanga among others who were not invited but came with a fleet of over 50 boda-bodas, and several youths who attracted a larger gathering.