{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Uganda! The land of goats, coats, courts, police generals
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Uganda! The land of goats, coats, courts, police generals
Before we condemn the Uganda Police Force, we should appreciate that they are, like most us, victims of the culture of strong-arm politics
SATURDAY AUGUST 13 2016
In Summary
Does anyone still remember the proceedings in the General Court Martial in Makindye when Gen Tumwine presided over the Kizza Besigye treason case? Terrible!
Before we condemn the Uganda Police Force, we should appreciate that they are, like most us, victims of the culture of strong-arm politics.
This political culture has reduced our national politics to regime survival versus regime change. And as a consequence, the Ugandan Police Force has been reduced to policing politics.
What we call police brutality could be perpetrated by the military or some militia or some loose youth combo like the one we saw at Makindye Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. But it would still invite the same remark: these are disturbing times.
And so, I see Gen Edward Kale Kayihura as a victim in the same way as was the case with Gen David Sejusa and Gen Elly Tumwine when their names were associated with the word 'court'.
Does anyone still remember the proceedings in the General Court Martial in Makindye when Gen Tumwine presided over the Kizza Besigye treason case? Terrible!
And does anyone still remember the confidence (actually arrogance) with which Gen David Tinyefuza (as he then was) dismissed the siege of the High Court by gunmen associated with the security services? Terrible!
So, Gen Kayihura's 'terrible' handling of the Makindye incident was typical. Ugandan military generals may dress in coats, rear or breed goats (I hear Gen Kayihura has a goat farm), but they are allergic to the word 'court'.
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Gen Kayihura and the Makindye incident have now clearly replaced the story of a princessly lady from Tooro Kingdom who sold goats to buy property worth Shs10.2 billion. The joke in town was that these goats could have been dressed in Gucci coats for them to fetch Shs10.2 billion.
That is why I challenge you to jog your memory. If you have a good memory, you may remember a poem or a reading passage or whatever that went like this:
Where are you going my little goat?
I am going to market to buy a new coat
A coat for a goat, can a goat have a coat?
People will laugh at a goat with coat.
When I grow up, I would like to write a folo (sequel) to the 'Goat with a Coat' poem. Here is a draft:
Only goats without coats go to court
Goat thieves in coats don't go to court
Generals in coats cannot go to court
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I spent last Saturday's morning at Naguru Hill in the company of a senior police officer. In my interaction with this senior police officer, I learnt that Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) is formal service rank (one of those 'Kayihura things'?). It is now the highest service rank in the Uganda Police Force; the equivalent of the military's four-star General.
In the Colonial Police, Senior Assistant Commission of Police (SACP) was the highest service rank. However, after Independence, the Ministry of Public Service abolished the colonial service rank of SACP and adopted Commissioner of Police (CP) as the highest service rank in the Uganda Police Force.
Commissioner of Police is now at the same level with Commissioners in ministries. And the AIGP is at the same level with directors in the ministries. Now all gazetted service ranks clearly fit in the Public Service structures.
The appointment of the IGP is a constitutional prerogative of the president. But with 18 senior police officers at the rank of AIGP, the next IGP is not likely to be a military man. You first heard this from here.
Maybe an IGP with police background would have handled the Makindye incident differently?
Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East African Flagpost.
Democracy is two Wolves and a Lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed Lamb disputing the results.
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