UPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye has clarified that the army does not directly arrest individuals but only steps in to support the police when called upon to maintain law and order.
Addressing recent public concerns over the role of the military in handling civil unrest, Kulayigye stressed that arrests are strictly the mandate of the Uganda Police Force.
“The army doesn’t arrest. This is a duty of the police. The army only comes in to support the police when invited to maintain law and order,” he said.
Kulayigye further defended the state’s response to what he described as deliberate acts of lawlessness. “We are dealing with people who are deliberately lawless. Someone will block a road, and you call that ordinary,” he stated.
His remarks come at a time when questions continue to surface about the conduct of security agencies, especially in relation to opposition activities and public demonstrations.
