The IGP Okoth Ochola has clashed with Muwanga Kivumbi, the Butambala County MP over opposition meetings that are blocked by the Police.
Kivumbi argues that even after the opposition has secured a venue for a meeting and informed the police, the venue owners are directed by the police not to allow the meeting to proceed.
The IGP asked Kivumbi to name the police officers who are guilty of such acts while the Minister of State for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania took a more confrontational approach and accused Kivumbi of making baseless allegations without proof.
The police top hierarchy led by the internal affairs minister Jeje Odong had appeared before the defence and internal affairs committee of parliament to discuss their policy statement for 2018/2019 when MPs raised various issues of concern.
The committee chairperson Judith Nabakooba asked Kivumbi to furnish the IGP with the names of the officers and take up the matter privately.
Her deputy Mbogo Keziaka noted that it was also prudent to talk to the specific venue owners on the issue in order to get to the bottom of the matter.
Matters also got heated when MPs like Mubarak Munyagwa tasked the IGP to explain why some suspects are rearrested outside the court immediately after being granted freedom on bail.
The MPs were furious about the fact that Dr. Ismail Kalulu a Kampala 2010 bombing suspect who faced this injustice two weeks ago after securing bail is still being held beyond the mandatory 48 hours without being produced in court.
They were unconvinced with the explanation provided by the director CID Grace Akullo who informed them that he is being at the SIU in Kireka with investigations still going on. Despite the committee chairperson Judith Nabakooba calling for calm and waiting for the suspect to be produced in court MPs demanded his immediate release.
