Uganda Police Force has Monday apologized to Mbogo clan elders and church leaders who got tear-gassed on Saturday in Mityana district.
The apology from the law enforcement body was delivered by spokesperson Fred Enanga during the security briefing at Uganda Media Center in Kampala.
According to him, territorial police was responding to a group of detractors who were intending to force themselves in an already unregulated event.
On Saturday, the Mbogo clan organised a public prayer and clan meeting at the home of the clan leader in Magulu LC1 and security says that it was not regulated.
“Task teams got information and responded because this was more of a public event and they ought to have got clearance from the district Covid-19 taskforce, something they did not do,” said Enanga.
He said that when the task team reached Mugulu village, they found prayers being led by Retired Bishop Emeritus John Baptist Kaggwa ongoing and they allowed the event to proceed, however, they restricted further entry.
“Because we maintained our officers within the vicinity, we noticed that the event was bigger with several politicians and among the invitees were Hon. Zaake Butebi and David Kalwanga who had fleets of boda boda riders and several youths,” he said.
Security said that they found a lot of confrontations by the supporters of Hon. Zaake who wanted to force themselves into the venue.
Enanga pointed out that after all options to control the crowds failed, the option of deploying teargas was eminent.
“We used teargas to disperse a seemingly violent group and this teargas spread to the venue where the bishop was conducting a mass,” he said.
Adding: “It was not intentional and that is why we take this opportunity to apologize to those who were directly impacted by the teargas that is; Bishop John Baptist Kagwa and Mbogo clan members.”
Police further called upon better coordination of all events including prayers and cultural functions because “such large gatherings were prohibited during this period of Covid-19.”
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