Traffic Police insists no one ordered them off highways, Kampala roads

The Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander Norman Musinga has refuted claims that traffic officers have been ordered off highways and on various roads in Kampala.

A message by the Police director in charge of traffic and road safety, Dr Steven Kasiima last week ordered police commanders to ensure police officers are only on the road to conduct operations sanctioned by the police headquarters.

Responding

to questions from journalists over the matter, Musinga said there was

misinformation in regards the directive.

“Nobody gave us instructions to leave highways and all that was misinformation,”Musinga said on Tuesday.

“We

are not supposed to leave the road. These were only adjustments by the Director

in charge of traffic to remove checkpoints but not police officers.”

The Kampala Metropolitan Police commander insisted the directive was in regards to removing checkpoints and not traffic officers from highways and roads.

“The communication was misinterpreted," Musinga said.

Speaking during the function to launch a new initiative against corruption, Museveni said traffic police officer are still involved in taking bribes from drivers while on the road.

In his message Kasiima ordered traffic police commanders to adhere to the new rules in regards to removing checkpoints along highways adding that officers on the road should be well supervised by their superiors.

“All personnel must be in office as per the program ready to respond to incidents and only be on the road while conducting operations sanctioned by police headquarters and supervised physically by the District Police Commanders,Regional Traffic Officers and Officers-in-Charge,” Kasiima’s message read in part.