The Uganda Police Force have stripped three of their top police commanders of their ranks after being found guilty of using excessive force while dispersing Dr Kizza Besigye’s supporters last year while he drove from FDC party offices.
The police came under heavy criticism following the incident in which police mercilessly caned whoever was in their reach. Dr Besigye’s supporters had been escorting him in a procession following his first press conference after his release from Luzira prison where he had been remanded over treason charges. He is still facing the case although he also vowed not to go back to court for hearing of the same case.
Those who have been demoted include Senior Superintendent of Police Andrew Kaggwa who was the former Regional Police Commander for Kampala East, Superintendent of Police Moses Nanoka, the Division Police Commander Wandegeya and Assistant Superintendent of Police Patrick Muhumuza, the Field Force Commander-Katwe.
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The officers were demoted to their immediate lower rank over shameful conduct while the juniors who had no ranks at the time of beating Besigye’s supporters were nominated for dismissal from the force.
This means that Andrew Kaggwa is now a Superintendent of Police, Nanoka is Assistant Superintendent of Police while Muhumuza is an Inspector of police.
The officers together with their juniors were found guilty of using excessive force, negligence of duty and discreditable conduct contrary to the police penal code act.
Dan Tandeka the crime preventer who had no rank was dismissed from doing any police work for the next 20 years.
On charges of excessive force the eight police officers were sentenced to a fine of deduction of a third of their salary for one month.
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For the charges of negligence of duty, the police constables were sentenced to severe reprimand and would be dismissed from the force in case they repeated the same offence.
Dismissed
The candidates for dismissal include Willy Kalyango, Sula Kato, Denis Muhangi, Moses Agaba and Dan Tandeka a crime preventer.
