Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Presidential Candidate John Katumba’s police guards could be in trouble with the Deputy Inspector General of Police as he has already made up his mind that the nasty Fort Portal incident in which the candidate was manhandled was caused by their falure to follow operational procedures.
Maj Gen Paul Lokech Deputy Inspector General of Police has blamed the presidential candidate’s security detail for acting unprofessionally which resulted into a serious clash between themselves and area police in Fort Portal.
On Thursday, the video circulated showing a scuffle between candidate John Katumba’s bodyguards and the area police officers in Fort Portal which started after they failed to agree on his campaign routes.
The area police wanted Katumba to pass through Bukwali village as he headed to Bunyangabu district, but Katumba insisted on passing through the heart of Fort Portal city. During the scuffle, his body guards helped him escape arrest after a long fight with Police commanded by Kabarole and Fort Portal District Police Commander, SP Oesa John Faustine.
While interacting with the press for the first time at Naguru police headquarters the new deputy inspector general of police Maj Gen Paul Lokech said the incident was caused by lack of professionalism and failure in command by the candidate’s security team which refused to agree with the directives of area police commander which was the right decision.
He explains that the commander of the security detail of the candidate is supposed to report to area police commander for the smooth coordination even before entering his area of command saying that the communication between the groups is to avoid clashing when candidates refuses to go with stipulated areas/ campaign venues which is prohibited by the electoral commission guidelines.
Lokech now has instructed an investigative team to probe all the operational mistakes that were seen in the rules of engagement and the firing that happened on Thursday.
John Katumba who decried to the media that Police squeezed his private parts has threatened to drag the Uganda Police to the courts of the law over the continued harassment.
“You may me see in running battles with Uganda Police, but anytime from now my lawyers will take action,” said Katumba.
He says that now he is going to walk in protest against the manner in which he was handled by police officers while campaigning in Fort Portal City.
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