One of the spouses of police officers who was arrested last week for
demonstrating over power cuts in their barracks in Kampala.Photo by Daily Monitor
Policemen’s wives hold protest
over power cuts
Publish Date: Nov 06, 2012
By Simon Masaba
The Police on Monday foiled and arrested three women in a demonstration organised by the wives of Police officers over UMEME power cuts in the Kireka, Naguru, Ntinda and Jinja Road Police barracks.
The Police on Monday foiled and arrested three women in a demonstration organised by the wives of Police officers over UMEME power cuts in the Kireka, Naguru, Ntinda and Jinja Road Police barracks.
Drama ensued when some policemen prevented the arrest of their wives fuelling the demonstration.
“Touch my wife and I show you,” a plain clothed officer told the Jinja Road Police Commander Wesley Nganizi.
“Should we exchange our housing units and see if your wife won’t demonstrate?” the officer asked Nganizi, while pointing a finger.
The Police detained the suspects at Jinja Road Police Station, saying they would prefer charges of holding an unlawful assembly as more investigations go on.
While condemning the demonstration, the commandant of Naguru Police barracks, Christopher Obache, said the administration ordered for the switching-off due to several illegal and dangerous connections.
“Police has decided to remove all illegal connections in various Police barracks across the country until the proper ones are done,” Obache said.
The women said their homes had been without power for the last two weeks yet their children were due to sit for national exams and needed lights to read.
The women who were carrying saucepans, charcoal stoves, placards and some with children walked from Jinja Road towards Parliament Avenue before the Police foiled the demonstration.
“We want to take our queries to Parliament for help,” Agnes Wekunya, one of the demonstrators, said.
Obache said three children had been electrocuted due to the illegal connections recently. He also accused his colleagues of illegally connecting power to their private homes and businesses which inflated the power bills.
Police brutality. Officers investigate arrest of their spouses
By STEVEN WANDERA
Posted Tuesday, November 13 2012 at 02:00
Posted Tuesday, November 13 2012 at 02:00
Police yesterday said they have launched an investigation into last week’s brutal arrests of some officers’ wives during a demonstration over electricity disconnections in Naguru and Kireka barracks and the delayed salaries of their husbands.
“We are investigating the whole demonstration. I am not sure if a file has been opened and when the investigations will be concluded,” Mr Ibn Ssenkumbi, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, told this newspaper in a telephone interview last evening.
At least one woman was brutally arrested at Lugogo as the group, comprising of women and children, attempted to march to Parliament to lodge their complaint.
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