Kadaga summons minister over Mbogo clan tear gas incident

KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has summoned the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo, to explain to parliament why police used tear gas, to disperse clan and religious leaders during thanksgiving mass, by members of the Mbogo clan in Mugulu, Mityana district.

The Police in Mityana district, over the weekend, used teargas to disperse thanksgiving mass led by retired Bishop of Masaka Diocese, John Baptist Kagwa.

The Police claimed that the Mbogo clan leaders had not sought permission from the police to hold the mass and that they had not adhered to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to avoid COVID-19.

Raising the matter as an issue of national Importance, Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake, regretted the incident and called for disciplinary action against the officers involved.

"This issue has raised a lot of alarm in the Buganda Kingdom and the Interreligious Council, the Police lead by the spokesperson Fred Enanga has accepted the fact that they did wrong. It is wrong to say that the elders and the religious leaders didn't observer SOPs yet they had masks on and observed social distance," Zaake said.

The Police have since visited the religious leaders and apologized for the incident that saw the religious and Mbogo clan leaders tear-gassed.  

Chairing the House, Kadaga asked Odongo, to appear before the House and explain, the incident, which MPs said was not necessary.

"The minister of internal affairs should come and explain to the House and the country about the incident," Kadaga said.