Police, army announce massive operation against civilians wearing, selling military attire
The UPDF and police have issued a two week ultimatum to Ugandans either selling or wearing military attire to hand them over to security or else they will be arrested.
On Monday, the Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, Stephen Tanui met with all Regional Police Commanders for Kampala as well as ghetto youth commanders to brief them about the forthcoming operation.
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“These days, criminals use clothing similar to our uniforms to commit crimes. We have belief you know these people. These cloths that resemble police and army uniform are common everywhere. They are even sold in local shops and markets. Many put them and go to commit crime. These people erect roadblocks during the night,”Tanui said.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police commander explained that in some cases army and police deserters don the security attires whereas relatives of security personnel who passed on have also refused to hand these belongings back to government.
He revealed that within the two weeks grace period, all those with camouflage and other security attires will be allowed to return them without any reprimand, after which, the operation will begin.
“We are giving you 14 days to bring them and hand them over to nearest police station and after 14 days we are launching a very big operation against individuals with clothes resembling our uniform. Whoever knows a person with those clothes should inform them to hand them over.”
“We have given 14 days of grace period and after 14 days whoever has them will be arrested and tried in general court martial.”
According to police, they will be working with leaders of ghetto youths to help them coordinate activities to ensure voluntary return of the attires during the 14 days period .
Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire said the operation will be carried out by the police, army and their intelligence components.
"Anything gazetted for the military, police and the entire security set up including berets must be handed over or else they will be confiscated and persons found with them will be apprehended. Those selling and wearing these items will all be targeted during this operation,"Owoyesigyire said.
He explained that whereas in the past they carried out the operations, the relaxation in operations targeting the fatigue has seen more of them items imported into the country.
According to Owoyesigyire, the operations will be continous.
Background
The development comes on the backdrop of increased attacks on security personnel, especially police officers by unknown assailants for guns.
This is the umpteenth time that security is launching operations against members of the public selling and wearing of military attire.
In the past, the operations have been launched and several members of the public arrested with the military attire but with time, the operations have lost steam.
Consequently, members of the public have resumed selling and wearing of the military attire.
The law
Section 170(2) of the Penal Code Act says that any person who, without the authority of the persons upon whose application an order under this section has been made, uses or wears any uniform, badge, button or other distinctive mark described in the order, or any uniform, badge, button or another distinctive mark so closely resembling the same as to lead to the belief that it is a uniform, badge, button or another distinctive mark so described, commits a misdemeanour.
The Penal Code Act, however, doesn’t specify the punishment for this offence but says “when any person is convicted of any offence under this section, the uniform, badge, button or another distinctive mark in respect of which the offence has been committed shall be forfeited unless the Minister shall otherwise order.”
