We run a story earlier today, on how Mityana Chairman Joseph Luzige survived a rigorous beating by UPDF and LDU officers last night in Mityana.
Defence Spokesperson Richard Karemire made a state earlier today, emphasising that the UPDF greatly regrets the incident.
Here is the full statement:
Yesterday on July 7, 2020, a patrol squad on routine duty in Mityana Municipality manhandled the LCV Chairman for Mityana District Mr Joseph Luzige. The circumstances are yet to be established.
This incident no doubt has attracted a lot of attention from the members of the public and the leaders in Mityan district and beyond.
The UPDF regrets this gross act of indiscipline that is not characteristic of the UPDF as a people’s army.
We wish to restate that discipline remains a core value and bedrock on which the UPDF was founded. Anyone who deviates from this will always be punished according to the established laws. There are examples to prove this in the recent past like a soldier in Kasese was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment and an LDU personnel was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment all because of unprofessional conduct.
We therefore strongly condemn this act meted out against one of our senior civilian leaders.
In response to this incident, the following who were involved have been arrested to be prosecuted in the military court:
L/Cpl Anguria Simon Peter
Pte Odeke Simon
Pte Musundi Caroline
Pte Okello Isaac
Investigations have also commenced. Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Forces has sent a team of senior leaders that include; Maj Gen Sam Kavuma, the Deputy Commander Land Force (D/CLF), Maj Gen Sam Kawaga, 1Div Comdr and Maj Gen Henry Masiko the Chief of Political Commissar (CPC) to Mityana to make an on spot assessment and confer with both the district leaders and the district security committee.
The UPDF wishes to reiterate its full commitment and loyalty to the people of Uganda and will always remain subordinate to the civilian authority as provided for under Article 208 of the Constitution.
There is no need to lose heart over these incidents. A comprehensive review of these deployments to enforce anti-COVID 19 measures is soon to take place and we expect better results.