IGP Ochola apologises for police firing teargas during clan meeting

The Inspector-General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola has apologized to retired Masaka Diocese Bishop, John Baptist Kaggwa over a weekend incident in which police fired teargas during a Mbogo clan meeting in Mityana.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/10/20/police-apologise-to-buganda-catholic-church-for-firing-teargas-during-clan-meeting/

Ochola's apology was carried by the Police’s Chief Political Commissar, AIGP Asan Kasingye who led a delegation of other senior police officers to visit the retired Bishop at his home in Mityana on Tuesday.

“The IGP carried out a thorough review and evaluation of the incident, and acknowledges the operational lapse which led to the use of teargas that spread and impacted on the congregation and the public,”Kasingye said in a statement.

“He extended further apologies in addition to the earlier ones made, regarding this regrettable incident. He applauded the Bishop for his resilient and steadfast leadership during this disruptive incident by the territorial Police. “

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/03/28/ochola-warns-police-officers-of-dire-consequences-for-beating-people-while-enforcing-museveni-directive/

The Police force’s Chief Political Commissar said the IGP Ochola requested leaders at all levels to always involve police in their programs for better coordination, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The police have come under attack following the weekend event in which the law and order enforcement body fired teargas to disperse Buganda Kingdom’s Mbogo Clan members who had convened at the clan’s ancestral ground, located at Mugulu in Ziggoti Town Council in a thanksgiving service for their clan head, Gajuule Kasibante.

The mass was led by retired Masaka Diocese Bishop, John Baptist Kaggwa but midway through the proceedings, police surrounded the place and asked the masses to leave the premises because their gathering was illegal.

Buganda Katikkiro, Charles Peter Mayiga who said the kingdom is worried about such acts of impunity against culture, more so, ahead of the forthcoming 2021 general elections.

“Members of the Mbogo clan are so many. They have different political aspirations and they belong to different religions but they are all members of the Mbogo clan. We condemn acts of refusing people to gather and share with their clan leaders,” Mayiga said.

The Katikkiro urged police and the army to handle matters of culture with utmost respect and caution.

However, Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga told journalists that it was not intentional to fire teargas towards the gathering of both religious and clan members.

We fired teargas which spread to the venue where the bishop was holding the mass. It was not intentional. We apologise to all those directly affected by the teargas including the Catholic Church, the bishop and members of the Mbogo clan,” Enanga said.

Enanga explained that whereas they left the function to continue, politicians who came in with a swarm of supporters who included boda boda riders continued to flock and efforts to stop them fell on deaf ears, prompting them to fire teargas to disperse them.