Two Police Officers are being investigated for shooting Mityana rioters, killing one and injuring five others. In a statement read to him by Police Spokesperson Emilian Kayima, while addressing a press conference at Naguru Police Headquarters on Monday afternoon, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola revealed that 23 of the rioters were arrested.
Ochola said the suspects will be screened and those found culpable will be charged with inciting violence, threatening violence, unlawful assembly and malicious damage to property. “We condemn riots in totality,” he said, reaffirming the police mandate of protecting life and property, preserving law and order as well as detecting and preventing crime.
Valuable property was vandalized on Sunday morning as residents protested the recent arrest and alleged torture of the Area Member of Parliament Francis Zaake. The IGP said two officers reported to have shot at the rioters are already being investigated over murder and attempted murder.
“We promise to investigate this matter to its logical conclusion. So far we have established that two police officers, namely; No. 36334 CPL (Corporal) Mosh Kefah and No. 54214 PC (Police Constable) Morris Cheptai discharged their guns at the scene and they are being investigated on the offence of murder and attempted, in relation to the incident,” he said.
Police have identified the deceased as Samuel Ssekiziyivu, a resident of Myanzi in Kassanda District. He was caught in gunfire while travelling in a commuter taxi registration number UBA869C. Five other travelers in the same van were injured and they are admitted to Mulago Hospital.
“The killing of Mr Samuel Ssekiziyivu and the injury to the other five are regrettable and unacceptable. In the same vein members of the public are reminded to desist from such riots because they are unacceptable, unlawful and criminal,” warned the IGP.
The IGP’s warning comes at a time when military police has been deployed in the City to quell riots in demand for release of jailed Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine).
