The Katikkiro (Premier) of Buganda Kingdom has urged police and other security agencies to maintain law and order in a non-violent and non-partisan manner during the campaign period.
“Once again, I urge police/security agencies to keep law and order in a non-violent and non-partisan manner during this campaign period,” the Premier said in a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday. “It’s unrealistic to ban processions of supporters. Political rallies are not prayer meetings to which worshippers go calmly. Political rallies are about excitement.”
The Premier also highlighted the challenges posed by Uganda’s public transport system, saying, “And with Uganda’s public transport (boda boda) it’s unrealistic to expect supporters to move to campaign venues quietly.”
He cautioned against the use of force, saying, “Ensure supporters don’t harm others, but let them be. Bullets; tear gas; dogs! These make the Pearl of Africa bleed!”
Mayiga’s comment comes after the police resumed using dogs in crowd control 18 years after they were withdrawn over concerns that they were inflicting serious injuries on civilians during demonstrations.
Officers from the Police Canine Unit were seen setting dogs on supporters of National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine in Kawempe Division, Kampala City on Monday.
Around two police dogs were seen grabbing Bobi Wine’s supporters, while they were walking to attend their candidate’s rally.
Human rights activists and legal experts have also condemned the use of dogs in crowd control.
The Uganda Law Society Vice President, Mr Anthony Asiimwe, said: ‘If the State permits its law-enforcement agencies to unleash living creatures of political coercion, and to arrest innocent bystanders, what does it say about the rule of law in our country? Such intimidation tactics are unacceptable in a democratic state.’
The Uganda Police Force had earlier, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, used canines during demonstrations.
But the then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, ordered a halt to their deployment in cases of protests in 2007.
Gen Kayihura’s directives came after a police canine handler set a dog on a Daily Monitor photojournalist, Mr Joseph Kiggundu, to stop him from taking photographs of the arrest of Opposition politicians during a demonstration at the Constitution Square in Kampala City.
The police dog bit Mr Kiggundu, which prompted journalists to demonstrate outside the Central Police Station in Kampala City.
Gen Kayihura later invited the journalists led by Mr Geoffrey Wokulira, who was also a journalism rights activist, for a dialogue at Kibuli in Kampala.
He then directed the halting of the deployment of the police dogs during demonstrations, saying he had received several reports that they bite innocent people and inflict serious injuries on them.
The police canine unit has dogs carrying out different tasks like sniffing, crowd control and guarding. Dogs trained for arrests bite the suspects or their clothes and hold onto them until their handlers intervene. These dogs often leave their targets with serious injuries.