Commissioner of the Uganda Human Rights Commissioner (UHRC) and also a retired police officer Semeo Muwanga Nsubuga has blasted the police leadership for deploying dogs and using excessive force when managing the supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine).
Nsubuga, a former Member of Parliament for Kasanda South said that what police and other security agencies did to Bobi Wine supporters in Kawempe Division and Mukono district was a violation of their human rights insisting that in the current modern days, using dogs to control the masses is unnecessary.
“Being a senior retired police officer I know very well what a commander is supposed to do in such a situation like it was in Kawempe, we call it situational judgement and dogs were not necessary to control the masses. Dogs are used in areas where there is terror threats, theft but not in controlling the public,” Nsubuga said.
This is the second time that Nsubuga is warning security bosses on violating people’s rights during the ongoing political campaigns.
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Nsubuga recently warned these officers that the time for them to answer to such injustices will come and they will be personally answerable to these crimes.
He explained that because of social media, it will be very easy for international human rights bodies and developed countries to examine and take decisions of sanctioning those individuals in security who participated in violation of people’s rights which will badly affect their immediate family members.
However, Nsubuga also pleaded with pollical candidates to follow the laws and regulations put in place by Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama and avoid provoking security personnels into fights with them.
Buganda Kingdom premier Charles Peter Mayiga also condemn the actions and hardness of police against Bobi Wine supporters to the extent of deploying dogs at a political rally.
“It’s unrealistic to ban processions of supporters. Political rallies are not prayer meetings to which worshippers go calmly. Political rallies are about excitement. And with Uganda’s public transport (bodaboda) it’s unrealistic to expect supporters to move to campaign venues quietly. Ensure supporters don’t harm others, but let them be. Bullets; tear gas; dogs! These make the Pearl of Africa bleed,” Mayiga stated on his X handle.
However, Kituuma Rusoke the police spokesperson defended the move of deploying dogs at Bobi Wine’s campaign rallies insisting that it is one of the equipment they have and which is permissible to use when dealing with huge masses of people who intentionally refuse to follow laws and regulations.
In early 2000s former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Edward Kale Kayihura banned deployment of dogs in public demonstrations after a dog bit monitor journalist Joseph Kiggundu who was covering demonstrations at city square.
During apartheid in South Africa, whites colonialists deployed dogs to deal with black Africans who were demonstrating and rioting against their rule demanding for their independence.
