Musician Cum Politician, Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has hit back at Police after one of their own officers tasted what he calls the impunity many Opposition politicians go through every single day of their lives. This follows a video and photo, that have since gone viral,showing retired Maj […]
Musician Cum Politician, Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has hit back at Police after one of their own officers tasted what he calls the impunity many Opposition politicians go through every single day of their lives.
This follows a video and photo, that have since gone viral,showing retired Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza and his bodyguards manhandling Esther Namaganda a female traffic police officer who was on duty in Seeta,Mukono.
Bobi Wine, in a statement on Facebook, reminds Police officers of the day he went through the same manhandling and told them to remember when he said: “Afande, we are not fighting you. We are fighting for you. This is what I meant.”
“We are fighting for your dignity. For your well-being. We are fighting so that you can be respected in your country – in your uniform. We are fighting so that your work can be appreciated and not demeaned,” he wrote.
The incident according to eyewitness happened after the traffic officer allegedly tried to stop Kyaligonza’s vehicle for making a U-turn in the middle of the road.
Namaganda said he slapped her on the ear, sending her reeling backwards: “I was calling vehicles from Mukono going to Kampala then all of a sudden I saw a black Prado indicating [that it wanted to turn]. I told the driver don’t make a u-turn from here. Go to the petrol station and make a proper turning. He insisted, shortly I saw army men getting out of the vehicle. They came and grabbed me. I saw another person in civilian clothes who came and told me: ‘Why are you disturbing us?’ He wanted to pluck off my ranks. Then two people grabbed me and Kyaligonza slapped me on the ears. I felt dizzy and If one of my colleagues had not grabbed me, I would have fallen down.”
Peter Otai, a journalist, who took the pictures, says one of the ambassador’s soldiers, Okurut (as per his name tag) even attempted to stab him with a sword but missed him.
UPDF Spokesperson regretted the incident citing that both UPDF and Uganda Police were establishing the facts to guide action to be taken. Brig Gen Richard Karemire said that the two soldiers ; Lance Corporal Peter Bushindiki and Private Okurut John Robert, who were both deployed as Very Important Persons (VIP) guards attached to Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza were arrested as investigations into the incident continue. ‘”They are now held at Military Police Headquarters. We reiterate our commitment to ensuring discipline of all ranks,” Karemire said
Kyaligonza is not new to controversy. In the late 1980s, he roughed up a police officer at Jinja Road Police Station who was trying to interrogate him. In the 2001 general elections, he also beat up Amlan Tumusiime, a former news editor of Radio Hoima for airing a story he said did not favour him.
