Mbarara North MP Robert Rukaari Protests Manner of his Arrest, asks Police to Investigate

Mbarara City North Constituency, Member of Parliament, Mwesigwa Robert Rukaari, has filed a complaint against two police officers for their unprofessional conduct exhibited during his arrest, last week.

On March 1, 2023, Rukaari was arrested at around 4:30 pm between Bhatia Chambers and Jubilee Insurance Centre building along parliamentary Avenue over failure to pay a debt.

In a letter dated March, 7, to the Commandant of the Police Professional Standards Unit, Rukaari, says he was coming from a meeting with the creditor’s lawyer Stanley Omwony to discuss a new debt payment plan, when his arrest was effected by a Court Bailiff Mr. Moses Kirunda together with ASP Mukiibi Kharim and another Police Constable.

He says the police officers were armed with Pistols and both dressed in an FFU blue and white anti-riot police Uniform.

Rukaari adds without being shown a warrant of arrest, he was ordered to abandon his Vehicle on the Street and forced into a waiting private car Toyota Mark X, driven to commercial Court.

He added, “To my surprise, even after the Assistant Registrar committed me to prison, at around 6.30 pm, the same Police officers and Court Bailiff Moses Kirunda ordered me back to the same Private Car without a Prison’s officer. In total disregard of traffic rules, they drove dangerously at a terrific speed and in the opposite direction of the road towards Luzira Prison, putting my life in danger.”

Rukaari further narrated that In a dramatic fashion, at Garden City round-about, ASP Mukiibi jumped out of the car and stopped all the vehicles including the Prison’s bus, then shifted him to the prison’s Bus.

This is therefore to request your good office to establish whether the said police officers were authorized to participate in the Civil court processes in the manner described above, he says, adding, “I am available in case of any other additional information or clarification.”