Police justify heavy deployment over age limit protests

Police have defended their action of deploying heavily in the city centre, parliament and Makerere last week.

According to police spokesperson Asan Kasingye, they could not sit back and violent groups of people disrupt peace and also destroy people’s property while protesting against lifting of the age limit.

“It is our obligation to keep law and order as enshrined in the Constitution and we can’t stop it,” Kasingye said on Monday during a news conference.

On people accusing police of being partisan while handling the protests, Kasingye said they could not sit and wait as groups of people especially from the opposition turn violent in the city.

Kasingye said that certain groups of people have been mobilizing people to storm parliament on Tuesday but warned that as they exercise their rights, they should also respect rights for other people who may not be part of the demonstrations.

“We shall continue to deploy as long as there is a threat to lives of people and their property because it is our mandate.

He said that the heavy deployment in the city and parliament is meant to bring about peace as well as keeping law and order by police and military