KAMPALA, Uganda
In the wake of the murder of Charles Engola, the erstwhile Uganda state minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, several ministers and VIPs have petitioned the Uganda Police directorate of counterterrorism to change or remove some guards attached to them.
On the other hand, some VIPs
are reported to have turned down recent transfers of their guards without solid
reasons. Col Engola was shot dead by one of his bodyguards Pte Wilson Sabiiti
before the latter turned the gun on himself. Before shooting himself, Sabiiti
is said to have complained of low pay which is also delayed.
Ordinarily, ministers and VIPs
are assigned police guards from the counterterrorism unit but upon request,
they are given extra guards from the UPDF, who are mostly deployed to do the
tough tasks such as guarding from the lead car of working at the homes ministers.
Sabiti was an army private.
The Observer could
not authoritatively confirm the ministers and state ministers that have
petitioned VIPPU but one is mentioned to be from the Gender ministry and
another from the Agriculture ministry.
On Monday, a top police
official attached to the Very Important Persons Protection unit (VIPPU) who
preferred anonymity, confirmed to The Observer that they are
overwhelmed by requests from ministers and some VIPs, expressing anxiety over
their bodyguards. VIPPU falls under the directorate of counterterrorism.
Among the reasons given for
the reshuffle are that some high-ranking officials think that the guards are
not loyal to them.
“Some are asking to have
particular individuals transferred from their entourage while others are
seeking to have a say on who they are assigned as guards,” said the source.
“There are a few of them with solid grounds but many of them are just anxious
for nothing.”
Asked if the VIPPU will heed
to the pleas, the source it is highly unlikely.
“We will treat every case on
its merits but there is no chance for the ministers and VIPs to have a say on
who they choose as guards.
Reached out for a comment,
senior commissioner of police Hadijah Namutebi, the police chief political
commissar, said she needed more time to verify the claims.
A state minister in the
Finance ministry who interviewed by The Observer denied
requesting for a change of his bodyguards but reiterated that the force needs
to thoroughly evaluate the state of mind of guards before assigning them.
“After the killing of Engola,
we need to have guards who are professional and loyal. They (guards) need to be
fully examined physically and mentally before assigned to us,” said the
minister.
Meanwhile, our VIPPU source
has also confirmed that a top director at KCCA is among those that have
resisted the abrupt transfer of a bodyguard.
“You came to my office to have
a discussion on the withdrawal of my personal bodyguard, who has been with me
for two and half years now. You advised me that according to the police
standing orders, a female officer is not supposed to guard a male principal. I
specifically requested you to put all this in writing, especially the breaches
of the police standing orders,” reads the protest letter to police.
“You realize that personal
protection is about life. I am very concerned about the sudden transfer of my
guard on the basis of provisions that are not in the police standing orders and
I wonder what the urgency is to move the guard without any prior notice or
specific request from myself or the guard to be changed. Should you choose to
proceed to withdraw the guard, I will have no choice but stay without a guard
for now.”
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