Internal Affairs Minister instructs Police to conduct fresh investigations into the death of People Power supporter Rita Nabukenya
State Minister for Internal Affairs, Mario Obiga Kania has ordered Police to conduct fresh investigations into the circumstances that led to the death of People Power supporter Rita Nabukenya.
Kania revealed to Parliament that the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola had already ordered fresh investigations into the matter to establish the truth.
He made the remarks yesterday Wednesday 11 before the plenary where he mentioned that Police could have issued false information about the lack of functional CCTV Cameras at the time People Power supporter Nabukenya was knocked dead at Nakawa.
After Nabukenya’s death, Police reported that they were unable to display the CCTV camera footage regarding Nabukenya’s death because, at the time of the incident, the Cameras at the scene were not functioning.
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga in his communication attributed this to the ongoing works in the area that had affected the optical cable connections.
“The CCTV along Naguru-Nakawa road, it was not working due to disruption in the fibre optic underground cables that are being laid due to construction works,” Enanga said.
The Minister’s admission came as legislators insisted that Police’s admission could be exploited by criminals to launch attacks on places with cameras around the city confident that the cameras may be faulty.
“Every other time we come to ask for camera footage when people have been hurt, either the cameras do not function or they are faulty,” Muhammad Nsereko, legislator Kampala Central wondered.
“It’s the safety in town; we think the Police must be held reliable because they have decided to shield criminals in the guise of faulty cameras,” Francis Mweijukye, Buhweju County MP said.
Gilbert Oulanyah, Kilak County legislator in his remarks accused police of trying to protect criminals in the name of faulty cameras.
“It means there are other big people up there who are trying to protect that one who kills with impunities,” Oulanyah said.
In 2019, parliament passed a loan request acquisition by government amounting to US$104 million from Standard Chartered Bank to finance the national CCTV network expansion project.
The cameras were to be installed in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono under phase two of the project.
The cameras were seen as an effort to catch rampant criminal acts in the Kampala Metropolitan area and the surrounding areas which seem to be failing.
