A senior Military Police officer, who allegedly commanded the brutal operation at Makerere University in which the military unleashed wanton violence on students and journalists, has been arrested by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).
The development was confirmed by the UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire, who identified the errant officer as Capt. Ronald Lubeera, who is in command of the Military Police Detach in Kampala.
“A Board of Inquiry led by Lt Col Richard Ochen Okum has been established to look into what exactly happened,” Karemire said. He added that the arrest has been done in what he termed as “committed to maintaining its high standards and pro-people stance.”
The soldiers, who were deployed at Makerere Univeristy appeared in several videos and photos where they physically manhandled both students and members of the media. This was during a demonstration against the new 15% tuition increment passed by the Makerere University administration.
President Yoweri Museveni directed the withdrawal of the military from the university after a joint military and police force conducted night time raids on Makerere halls of residence and neighborhoods—brutally, clobbering every student.
The U.S. Mission in Uganda on Monday October 29 warned that the reported heavy-handed response by security services to protests against the proposed tuition increases at Makerere University ” is uncalled for, and is a direct affront to the freedoms of assembly, speech and expression guaranteed by Uganda’s constitution.”
