Police officers enforce curfew guidelines
Fourteen local council-LCI Chairpersons in Ddungi parish in Ngogwe Sub County Buikwe district have resigned citing increased police brutality against community members. The affected chairpersons are from Lukonda, Natyole, Kituntu, Namukono, Kawuna, Lugasa, Ddungi, Wabusole, Bunyinya, Bugwisa, Kitala, Buwooya, Bulutwe A and B villages.
The LC I chairpersons accuse officers from Kigaya police post led by the Officer in Charge-OC Grace Okoth of making it a habit to beat up people in the name of enforcing COVID-19 guidelines and curfew leaving several nursing injuries while others are locked up with intentions of extorting money from them.
The decision by the LCs to quit follows the assault of several residents in their homes on Tuesday night and the arrest of 15 residents including Deo Mbowa, the LC I chairperson of Bulutwe B for attempting to stop the officers from assaulting his electorate.
Fred Egesa, the Ddungi Parish Chairperson, says that LC I chairpersons handed over their village stamps and registers and asked him to send them to the Residential District Commissioner, saying police has frustrated their work.
Purikeriya Amasi, the LC I chairperson of Natyole village wonders why officers from Kigaya Police Post cross from Najja sub-county to Ngogwe to brutalise residents instead of arresting them and prosecuting them if they have any case to answer.
Proscovia Nalubega, a resident of Natyole village is one of the victims of the police brutality. According to Nalubega, she was assaulted by seemingly drunk police officers while at her home. She says that the officers only left when her mother raised alarm and pleaded with them to spare her life.
Christopher Sseruyange, the Ngogwe sub-county LC V councillor, says that they have severally engaged Okoth over the unprofessional conduct of officers under her command but nothing has changed. He appeals to the responsible police authorities to consider transferring her from the area.
Okoth declined to comment on the accusations levelled against her by the community, saying that she only reports to her superiors and not the media. Fred Isabirye, the Buikwe District Police Community Liaison Officer, has confirmed receiving the complaints, saying they are working with the local leaders to restore their relationship.
He says that they are also working to release the affected residents unconditionally and appeals to the LC I Chairpersons to reconsider their decision to quit their offices. Jane Francis Kagayi, the Buikwe Resident District Commissioner and head of the District Security Commissioner, says that her office has received intel about the fracas that has been happening in the area.
She, however, says that they are yet to receive official complaints from the affected village chairpersons.
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