Thursday, July 26, 2012

When I listen to the Police stories (not the Jackie Chan type) around the world, I begin to realize that Ugandan Police officers are professional or at least in their service delivery, and that is an understatement! In Kenya, last year, two or three Police officers won an award for helping a pregnant woman deliver on her way to the hospital, in Uganda, that would not have won them anything at all for then they would have done something normal or call it usual. In Kenya however, that was un expected! The 'kitu kidogo'-something for something service is so high that to meet even a good Police officer on leave first thing in the morning, is a bad omen for a civilian. In Mexico, the locals fought the Police for the Police's brutal murders and kidnaps of the young men two or three years back. They participate in drug cartels and rape women under custody. In Nigeria, and this is current news from the BBC, a Hospital has been turned to a 'mass burial funeral service provider'! And who makes it possible? The Police and their massive arbitrarily murders of young men who just, lets face it, are suspects of robbery! In fact some murders are carried out in Police check points. Extra judicial killings are issues of the trigger happy officer, and they- the Nigerian Police officers, are trigger happy. In South Africa, one or two month ago, a very brave Police officer shots down an 'armed' four year old child 'robber'. Robber's gun description: toy gun with zero rounds of ammunition! The shoot first or call it fast and ask questions later thing, you know:-)

Police brutalities around the world are actually soaring above the Military brutalities on civilians and I find that ironical. The Ugandan Police in spite of the corruption stain, which believe me, is a grain of sand in an ocean compared to their brothers else where, are friendly, professional and deliver at least a fair service though they have their own short comings.

Its a year or so since I wrote the paragraphs above. As I write know, I must admit, things are rather the opposite of what they were. I wish they had read this representative article on my Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/notes/simon-opolot/are-your-police-officers-good-enough/199234291567
Maybe just be, they would have thought better before pounding on their brothers on the streets as they demonstrated against the Governments failures.

The Police officer ironically is now the most feared Armed personnel in Uganda, replacing the Soldier who has turned to be the best friend you can have (I'm not quite surely whether they would still be if they were subjected to the Egyptian kind of Situation during the overthrow of Mubarak)

 Well, this discipline I must credit on the should of President Museveni! The same President who is to blame for turning the Police into a brute disrespecting force. The masses now feel it's better to be arrested by the Military on night patrol than by the Police patrol. The Police will definitely drain your account while the soldiers will only keep you on patrol until morning then let you go just as a way of saying be at home at the right time in the time of security threats.

The whole Irony here is that The Inspector General of Police, Major-General Edward Kale Kaihura is a soldier. The former bad boy marries the former good girl, bad boy goes good while the good girl goes bad! Hmm.

An example of this needless Police moves against the communities;
http://katwe.blogspot.com/2006/03/kaihura-to-purge-business-for.html



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