Senior High Court Civil Division Judge has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola not to delete the name of the fired traffic police boss from the police payroll.

Justice Micheal Elubo, the head of the Civil Division High Court Kampala has issued an interim order restraining the police authority from deleting name of Sgt. Ibrahim Ssesanga, police officer No.335544, who was fired by the police’s appellant disciplinary court on grounds of causing the death of Hussein Walugembe, a bodaboda cyclist in Masaka City.

Justice Elubo agreed with Ssesanga’s lawyers led by Akram Matovu of Matovu, Katerega and Company Advocates that he will suffer a lot if his name is scrapped from the payroll when his main suit challenging the decision by the police’s Appellant disciplinary Court is not yet determined by the high court.

The police force through Mark Walugembe from the Attorney General’s Chambers didn’t object after claiming that he received the legal instructions very late and didn’t get enough time to respond to Ssesanga’s application concerning the interim order.

Ssesanga ran to the High Court and challenged the decision by the police’s Appellate Court to dismiss him from the force without being given a fair hearing.

He was dismissed from the force after being accused of causing the death of Walugembe who burnt himself after police confiscated his motorcycle and asked him for a bribe for violating the guidelines put in place to fight the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

By Sengooba Alirabaki

A Local Defense Unit Officer has been shot dead after he fired 18 live bullets, killing upto 5 people in the process, and injuring many more.

Police has established that the suspect fired 18 bullets, but the motive of the shooting is still unknown as investigations into the incident are still ongoing.

SP Patrick Onyango, the Public Relations Officer, Kampala Metropolitan Police has confirmed the reports.

“Today, we registered unfortunate incident in Ganda Nansana in Wakiso District where five people lost their lives and three were injured in a shooting  incident,” Onyango revealed.

The police spokesperson disclosed that today at about 0900 hours, police received information of the shooting incident at Ganda village Kyebando Parish, Wakiso District.

“According to available information, L/CPL Denis Omara, an LDU Commander, attached to Ganda detach, who is suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol, shot dead four people  namely Special Police Constable Isaac Nimulungi, LDUs No. AX301784 Abraham Masereka, No. AX017516 John Wafula and a civilian woman Rita Nabayingo, a resident of Nsumbi village Kyebando parish, Wakiso District,” Onyango revealed.

Police reports indicate that Willy Omara, the LDU officer who went on rampage was later put out of action. Police Constable David Ochen was injured in the process, and two other civilians yet to be identified were also injured and rushed to unknown clinics.

The bodies of the victims have been taken to Mulago City mortuary for postmortem.

By Baron Kironde

Journalists under Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) want the Inspector General of police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola to resign over his reckless statements against journalist yesterday.

In a statement signed by Mathiaus Rukundo, the newly elected association president insists that Ochola’s statement concerning the brutality against journalists who cover opposition politicians in the ongoing political campaigns was an instructions to his subordinates to continue assaulting journalists.

“That you being the head of the Uganda Police Force, all statements you make are taken as instructions to your subordinates and in the same vein seen to qualify, justify and sanction further actions of torture, violence and total abuse of human rights and freedoms of journalists by police which puts mass media and journalism as a whole, which is a fundamental pillar in free and democratic society, at risk in Uganda,” Rukundo noted.

He added that Ochola’s statements are unbecoming and not befitting of his position as IGP in such times when the country is at the climax of a political season which has been characterised by visible actions of violence and torture by police which have even resulted into loss of lives and left many journalists hospitalised.

Rukundo said that Ochola’s statements are not only derogatory in nature but also disregard basic fundamental human rights, rule of law and contravene conventional principles of international laws.

Rukundo noted in the letter that with immediate effect, Ochola should retract and withdraw his impugned statements or resign.

He warned that if the IGP does not heed to their demands he is ready to seek help from the appointing authority who is president Yoweri Museveni.

He further threatened that journalists are also thinking of taking legal action against Ochola in his personal capacity, not as head of police.

On Friday in the security joint briefing at Naguru police headquarters in Kampala, Ochola disclosed that police sometimes beats journalists to protect them.

By Sengooba Alirabaki