By KT Reporter
The Wandegeya Division Police Command (DPC) Superintendent of Police, Hassan Hiwumbire, has come under the spotlight for brutalizing National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters on Monday.
In the video clips, Hiwumbire is seen punching Henry Mutyaba and later on using a stick to hit his head, leaving him bleeding profusely. Hiwumbire’s actions have ignited memories of 2015 when Joram Mwesigye,, who, was DPC Old Kampala Division, unleashed brutality on WBS journalist Andrew Lwanga, leaving him with a broken spine.
Mwesigye was convicted over torture cases and subsequently shown exit from the Uganda Police Force (UPF). Mwesigye’s colleagues declined to succumb to his pleas for help to raise part of the more than 100 million shillings he needed to contribute to compensate the journalist as per the court award.
Many senior police officers who have watched Hiwumbire’s actions have predicted that he will end up like Mwesigye if NUP takes legal action against him and other police officers who have left many civilians hospitalized following clashes with NUP supporters.
“I trained with SP Mwesigye, and we often warned him to act with conscious, but he never listened. After being convicted, Mwesigye came to us pleading that we should help him at least raise 60 million shillings, but we told him we were not part of his fracas. I now predict even this Hiwumbire is going to end like Mwesigye,” a Commissioner of Police said.
NUP President Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has since vowed that Hiwumbire will pay for his brutality. Bobi Wine described Hiwumbire as a monster for the violence he unleashed on unarmed supporters.
“Hassan Hiwumbire is the DPC Wandegeya. The monster in him was on full display on Monday as he clobbered our supporters to near death. One of his victims, seen in this video, is comrade Henry Mutyab,a who remains in a critical condition after his head was hit with sticks,” Bobi Wine said.
URN spoke to several police officers who expressed concern over Hiwumbire and other security personnel’s violence in the ongoing Kawempe North MP by-elections campaigns. Some police officers said they are secretly providing details of police officers who appeared in videos hurting harmless supporters to rights lawyers so that they can be charged.
“These officers tend to forget that their actions can have long-lasting impacts on their life,” another senior police officer said.
Kawempe North MP by-election has been violent from the day of nomination whereby security agencies comprised of Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JAT), Special Forces Command (SFC), Field Force Unit (FFU), Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) have targeted, clobbered and shot others with rubber bullets.
Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, the Army Spokesperso,n told URN that JAT and security presence in Kawempe means the situation isn’t normal. He said NUP have defied guidelines intended for a peaceful electoral process, including choosing to move on main road,s paralyzing activities and traffic.
Kituuma Rusoke, the Police Spokesperson, said whoever is not contented or has complaints about JAT and other security personnel’s actions in Kawempe should seek court redress or raise the issue with police leadership.
Mwesigye trained with Assistant Superintendent of Police –AIGP Frank Mwesigwa, who is now the Director Police Operations Service (OPS). At least four of his intake mates are Commissioners of Police (CP), seven are Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), and others are Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP).
Police officers who have unleashed brutality on journalists and civilians during elections, save for Enock Abaine who was elevated from ACP to CP, have struggled to survive in the force.
Abaine unleashed violence against journalists in Lwengo, and one of the victims, Ashraf Kasirye, sustained permanent head damage.
Many do not get promoted. For instance, Arinaitwe Gilbert Bwana, who smashed Dr Kizza Besigye’s vehicle in 2011, is currently battling several offences in courts of law. Recently, ACP Sam Omara, who often brutalized Besigye, apologized for his actions on his sickbed-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
