The spokesperson for the Uganda Police ACP Kituuma Rusoke has revealed that the force arrested 13 UPDF soldiers who were part of a larger military group that attacked Wakiso Police Division over land matters on Monday evening.
According to a statement shared on X by the force, the 13 military personnel who are allegedly part of the Presidential Task Force on Land Matters and Environment under the command Brig Moses Lukyamuzi attacked the police in two vehicles and demanded for the release of suspects in a land matter.
“The soldiers, 13 in number confronted the Wakiso Division Commander and other officers at the station while pursuing a land dispute. They demanded that the Division Police commander assist in a land eviction, which she refused citing the absence of a court order and lack of involvement from the district security committee” the statement read.
According to reports, the DPC, SP Esther Kiiza’s refusal to assist the military men prompted them to put her at gun point while ordering her to undress and forcibly putting her under arrest, an act that prompted her juniors to come to her rescue.
“Her refusal angered the military personnel, leading them to confronting her, in her response, her fellow officers at the station used armed force, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that forced the soldiers to flee the scene”.
Mr Kituuma said a police team from Kampala Metropolitan North and UPDF thereafter pursued and arrested the suspects at Yesu Amala stage in their two vehicles, a mini bus green in colour No UBG 041U and a Toyota Noah UBR 647B.
The soldiers attack on the Police comes a month after Special Forces Command (SFC) commandos led by a Lt. Samson Amo, raided Lubowa Police Station along Entebbe road and beat up all police officers and civilians at the station after the OC refused to book in badly wounded suspects brought by the SFC commandos to the station.
