“These officers were deployed to protect me, not to spy on me,” he said, adding that professional conduct by security personnel should not be punished.
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Nine police officers who had been assigned to guard opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu have been dismissed from the Uganda Police Force after appearing before the Police Court on charges of neglect of duty.
According to statements released by the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Kyagulanyi, the officers were dismissed with disgrace after authorities accused them of assisting him to escape from his residence.
The opposition figure, however, dismissed the allegations as unfounded, saying the officers were no longer on duty at the time he left his home.
Kyagulanyi explained that the officers assigned to his campaign were withdrawn on January 15, which was election day. He added that when security forces, including the military, reportedly raided his home on January 16, the officers in question had already been redeployed and were no longer responsible for guarding him.
Despite this, the officers were later summoned before the Police Court and charged with neglect of duty. Kyagulanyi argued that the action was taken because authorities were embarrassed by their failure to track his whereabouts for nearly two months.
“These officers were deployed to protect me, not to spy on me,” he said, adding that professional conduct by security personnel should not be punished.
He also claimed that two of the officers, including one identified as Kigenyi, were taken back into detention at the police station at the Railway Grounds following the court proceedings and are still undergoing interrogation.
The development has sparked debate about the treatment of security officers involved in political assignments, with critics saying some officers face punishment for actions linked to politically sensitive operations.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement detailing the evidence presented against the officers or the exact circumstances that led to their dismissal.
