Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Maj Gen Chris Damulira, the Police Director of Crime Intelligence, has reach below scrutiny following the circulation of videos exhibiting gangs donning NRM T-shirts assaulting of us along streets and roads in Kampala. Since 2020, Maj Gen Damulira has been mobilizing ghetto formative years with the said aim of reforming them. He has paraded these groups earlier than President Yoweri Museveni, showcasing them as worthwhile rehabilitation tales. In response, the President has reportedly prolonged with regards to UGX 3 billion to the groups via SACCOs, below Damulira’s coordination.
At public events, Damulira has time and again accused the opposition of manipulating ghetto formative years for political salvage with out making improvements to their lives. “He’s helping these boys, now not excellent giving them cash. They are actually doing issues enjoy welding, shoe making, art, and craft. However the opposition excellent old them for rallies and demos,” a police officer shut to Damulira said earlier this three hundred and sixty five days.
Over 50 such groups own reportedly been created all the device in which via Kampala suburbs collectively with Kamwokya, Kibuli, Katwe, Ndeeba, Naguru, and Kasokoso in Wakiso District. Nonetheless, Damulira’s initiative has lengthy attracted criticism from politicians and even some for the length of the safety institution, who exclaim it has bred legal gangs who imagine they are protected by the snarl.
“We’ve been telling him he’s building one other Bodaboda 2010-form gang enjoy the one formed below Gen Kale Kayihura,” a senior officer said. “Let him now reach out and defend this insanity.” Boda boda 2010 was once a gang formed in 2010 that in the slay turned into a symbol of lawlessness in Kampala, with participants accused of slay, robbery, and extortion except the neighborhood was once dismantled in 2018.
One other security officer accused Damulira of the utilization of the initiative as a “cash-minting project” off the President’s goodwill. “The day I noticed a colleague carrying a sack of cash to the ghettos in Kasokoso on Damulira’s orders, I knew this was once a enterprise,” the officer said.
After Saturday’s violent scenes, wherein the crowd reportedly targeted avenue users heading to Kololo for President Museveni’s nomination, security officials exclaim their lengthy-standing concerns had been vindicated. “These gangs own made parts of Kampala no-lunge zones. We warned him. Let him now shapely up the mess,” said a senior officer.
Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke confirmed arrests. “Now we own arrested one of the crucial principal suspects and are pursuing others. We’re going to now not enable gangs to victimise residents,” said Rusoke. NRM spokesperson Emmanuel Dombo also distanced the birthday party from the gangs.
“It will not be our operation to own gangs. We don’t work with such groups. Now we own asked the IGP to probe and retain responsible whoever mobilised them,” he said. Damulira looked on a Kampala radio dwelling on Sunday to defend his initiative, asserting the formative years groups below his gape should always now not all in favour of crime.
Nonetheless, in a instant interview with URN, he said: “I haven’t got such a account from my self-discipline officers or neighborhood leaders.” He did now not verify whether or now not he had assigned his Directorate of Crime Intelligence team to examine the perpetrators. Realistic one of the crucial groups reportedly below Damulira’s coordination is “Al-Qaeda,” essentially essentially essentially based in Kibuli. In 2023, this neighborhood was once blamed for the killing of an 18-three hundred and sixty five days-old pupil, prompting an military raid on their hideout.
The neighborhood all in favour of Saturday’s assaults reportedly emerged from Lubaga below the leadership of Ivan Kamuntu, alias Majembere, who has since pledged to relieve police track down those seen in the viral videos. Among the victims was once retired AIGP Grace Akullo, frail CID and Interpol director. She was once robbed of her telephone whereas at an ATM along Nile Avenue.
Her son, who was once waiting internal their automobile, was once also attacked and injured by the crowd earlier than his telephone was once stolen. He was once later admitted to Mulago Successfully being facility. Maj Gen Damulira joined the Uganda Police Power in 2019 as a Colonel and was once elevated to Brigadier in 2021. He was once promoted to Foremost Traditional closing week by Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Security sources also verbalize that the similar gangs had been old to foment violence for the length of the Kawempe North by-election in March, working alongside SFC, JATT, and police.
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