First read;
Uganda Pentecostals are treading a dangerous political path by fornicating with Museveni’s corrupt dictatorship: Pastor Joseph Serwadda, Bishop David Kiganda and Pastor Jackson Senyonga new year eve celebrations turn into political fora to raise support for President Museveni.
Church should have sought apology from Omalla, Kaweesi
Wednesday, 15 January 2014 09:06
You
haven't recounted the events of 2013 accurately until you take stock of
the often inhumane manner in which the increasingly dreaded Uganda
Police Force repetitively roughed up, beat, and - at point-blank range -
shot at citizens expressing their reservations at the theft of public
funds and government profligacy.
Last year, the police unilaterally
passed and refused to rescind an unlawful "shoot-to-kill" policy under
which suspected criminals were to be shot dead on sight. The leadership
of the police force was pivotal in lobbying for the enactment of the
manifestly unjust and draconian Public Order Management Bill (now Act),
which has become the legal framework through which dissent of any shape
or form is criminalized.
In one of the most embarrassing
spectacles to the force, dozens of wives to policemen staged a
demonstration against the subhuman conditions of disease, hunger and
poverty that they have endured for years...no different from what Walk
to Work, Black Monday, Action for Change or any other pro-democracy
citizen outfit for change has been advocating.
Like mindless automatons, the police,
acting on "orders from above", subjected their spouses to the searing
sting of tear gas, batons, kicks and slaps, in an effort to quell a
demonstration by women whose only crime was to dare demand for a modicum
of dignity.
The litany of abuses that range from
complicity in armed robberies, to sporadic shootings to obstruction of
justice are evidence of a police force that has degenerated into a
partisan, lawless regime-maintenance machine.
The homes of political party leaders,
elected leaders of the opposition, vocal religious leaders and some
citizens within civil society have either become permanent police
detaches or are under constant surveillance by shadowy intelligence
operatives.
Do school children still earn marks for stating that the role of the police is to "maintain law and order?"
Why do most of us feel insecure around
members of the Uganda Police Force yet their presence should be a
reassurance of security for ordinary citizens?
Has the inspector general of police
stopped to ask himself why mob justice is commonplace notwithstanding
the litter of police booths with hungry and yawning officers that
punctuate Kampala's environs, for example?
It is against this rather unfortunate
background that I was quite disturbed to see two leaders of the
Christian faith give a platform to two men who have become the
undisputed face of the repressive machine that the Uganda police has
been reduced to - Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Andrew Felix
Kaweesi and Kampala North Police Operation Commander Sam Omalla!
I know the new year often brings good
cheer, and I suppose this was the spirit with which Mr Omalla was
received at Nakivubo stadium, and Mr Kaweesi at Nsambya Catholic parish,
on the night that ushered in 2014. And yes, I understand we must love
the sinner and hate the sin.
But Omalla has unapologetically led
most, if not all the deadly crackdowns I have highlighted above. From my
one-time interaction with him at Wandegeya police station, where my
colleagues were being detained for distributing free copies of the
anti-corruption Black Monday newsletter, Omalla has no remorse for the
terror he has meted out on defenceless and peaceful citizens; if
anything, he was ebullient and proud while he recounted his
'accomplishments' to me.
That Omalla was permitted to 'preach' to
the same citizens he routinely terrorises whenever they demand what is
rightfully theirs defeats comprehension and can be construed as the
church's tacit approval of the regime's highhandedness and intolerance
to divergent opinions. It is a regrettable betrayal of the trust that
God has vested in the leadership of Ugandaís Christian family as far as
the stewardship and protection of His people is concerned.
The Church missed a golden opportunity
to demand an explanation from the two leaders about why the police have
(man) handled, maimed and caused the needless deaths of protestors in
Uganda. The Church should have asked Omalla and Kaweesi the hard
questions regarding incessant police brutality against unarmed
civilians.
The Church should have demanded an
apology from the two gentlemen, on behalf of the Uganda Police Force and
a pledge that in 2014, the force would act impartially and respect the
rights of all Ugandans.
