KAMPALA – Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago have condemned the shooting of a student and her mother by police during an operation against city vendors on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.
Ms Kadaga directed that government foots all the medical and upkeep expenses of Lowena Racheal, who, together with her mother, Nakachwa Irene, who are hospitalised at Mulago Hospital after sustaining serious injuries in the KCCA/Police operations against street vendors.
“I’ve ordered the Internal Affairs State Minister, Obiga Kania, to ensure that a police officer constantly monitors the upkeep and medical needs of an S.6 girl that was shot, in Kampala by policemen, yesterday. My order was in light of the entire House’s anger over wanton misuse of arms by some cops & a general consensus that the govt foots all the girl’s medical and upkeep expenses,” the Speaker said on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
Lord Mayor Lukwago and the newly constituted KCCA Executive Body visited the shooting victims at Mulago Hospital on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, and called for the prosecution of the commander of the enforcement team, SSP Kituuma Rusoke and the errant law enforcement officers “who wantonly and recklessly shot at our people.”
“Racheal survived death by a whisker, for a bullet ripped her upper lip and razed off all the teeth in the upper jaw. Her mother, who is ekes a living from vending Mukene at Kasenyi landing site, had part of her elbow ripped off by a rubber bullet. Racheal is in S6 at Naalya SSS, Lugazi Campus and she was caught in melee together with her mother at the Old Taxi park as they headed to the Lugazi-bound taxi stage,” Mr Lukwago told journalists.
“In addition, we have demanded for the removal of SSP Kituuma from KCCA as he has overstayed; close to a decade. Finally, we shall expedite the process of enacting into law the Bill for the Law Enforcement Ordinance as well as Street trade ordinance, which stalled pending finalization of the transition processes relating to the new KCCA legal regime,” he added.