By M. Suleman

21^st May 2012: As expected, after two years of both physical and psychological torture, Justice Ralph Ocan exonerated the last batch of the so-called ‘Buganda Riots’ detainees.

Policeman squeezes Ingrid's breasts

It was expected because from day one, it was clear the case was never about any crime committed by the suspects, it was about the NRM government fighting Buganda kingdom.  The innocent detainees were just pawns in their machinations

Accordingly, Justice Ocan was not only shocked by the way the DPP and the Police reduced the court-room to a drama theatre he was also shocked by the ease with which they could abuse the detainees’ fundamental human rights.

While Justice Ocan was shocked, many Ugandans were not.  When Museveni came to power in 1986, he found a professional police force.  Having failed to woo them to his partisan side, he decided to transform the police.  Career policemen were sacked and replaced by NRM cadre soldiers, relatives and friends.

This was meant to systematically transform the police into a politicized, militarized, and tribalised institution – similar to the other NRM security formations.  The character of the current police can best be explained by the behaviour of their boss Gen. Kayihura.

On the recent torture of Ingrid Turinawe, his immediate response was that the incident was minor, and that policemen in America and elsewhere regularly manhandle women.  Kayihura also had no shame to utter lies to the whole country that Ingrid was not hurt by a male policeman, but a female policewoman.  How can a whole General lie in broad day light?

The Ingrid incident was captured on camera, and was played to national and international audiences from different angles.  All of them clearly show that the culprit was a male police officer dressed in a male riot gear.

The policemen who testified before Justice Ocan, who are in reality no different from some drunk and sleepy night security guards or watchmen, also represent the true calibre of the men and women the great Museveni envisaged for the “new” NRM police force.

Is it any wonder, therefore, that former CID Director Elizabeth Kutesa lied through her teeth, in broad day light, and under oath during Dr. Kizza Besigye’s politically motivated rape case?

During the recent walk-to-work protests, many political activists were detained on trumped up charges, with police officers routinely concocting lies against the “innocent accused persons”.

We therefore must never rule out the possibility that Natete Police Station could have been burnt in order to “build a strong case” against Buganda.  In the same spirit, it would be imprudent to rule out the possibility that Inspector Ariong may have been killed by government in order to get excuse to ban demonstrations.

What haven’t they done to the people of Uganda?  They tear-gased children without remorse, they have stripped women naked without shame or even regret, they detain anybody without one committing a crime, and they kill whenever like – just for the fun of it!

Finally, the mere fact that ‘terrorism’ charges can be brought against unarmed demonstrators clearly shows that our police force has been murdered in cold blood and it’s time for us to pray for it to rest in peace. END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.