People Power women say they will protest over CCTV cameras

The Uganda Police and ‘People Power’ political pressure group have clashed again with the later demanding that police releases the footage of the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera footage of the accident which claimed the life of Ritah Nabukenya, a People Power supporter.

Police in the wake of the accident that claimed the life Nabukenya in Nakawa last month said in a statement that their patrol was not involved in the accident but it was rather another motorcycle that knocked her down.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango also said that police were to release the CCTV footage to prove their claim. However, the footage is yet to be released a week later.

People Power women wing now demand that the footage be released or they will carry out a civic action.

“We demand that the Uganda police release footage of the CCTV cameras around Nakawa, a suburb where Ritah was murdered and Nansana where the late Kyeyune was murdered in cold blood,” Flavia Kalule, a chairperson of the People Power women’s league said.

Police spokespersons Fred Enanga and Patrick Onyango gave contradicting statements about the matter last week.

Onyango who first told journalists that the footage will be availed to the public anytime later had to mince his words when Enanga, the police spokesperson said that the ‘CCTV cameras were not able to capture the accident due to disruptions in fiber optic cables and power outages.’

“Utility companies such as UMEME, National Water, KCCA also do carry out a lot of construction works which disrupt the underground cables which we laid,” Enanga said.

In a press conference held on Monday at the People Power head offices in Kamwokya, the People Power Women wing demanded said the police claims ‘don’t add up.’

“We understand that the CCTV cameras are always on 24/7 so they need to give us a better reason than that,” Kalule said.

“We are going to mobilize ourselves and do whatever it takes. They will teargas us and beat us but we shall not give up on demanding for the footage.” She added.

Recently released women activist Stella Nyanzi who was donning a People Power cape and red attire added her voice, saying that Police are meant to protect Ugandans and should be accountable to them.

“How is the police going to tell us, those of us that it claims to love so much about the grief of our children?” Nyanzi said.

According to a police statement released on Monday evening by Enanga, The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has now tasked the Directorate of ICT to regularly check CCTV system and ensure that every single camera is working.

Enanga said that despite the absence of the footage, their traffic unit is still carrying out investigations and it will provide a report.

“We would like to add that the traffic investigations unit has taken over investigations into the fatal accident of Ritah Nabukenya, while the shooting incident at Nansana is being investigated by the Regional CID officers at KMP North. Both cases are progressing well. Enanga said.