Thirteen soldiers, reportedly attached to the Presidential Taskforce on Land Matters and Environment, have been arrested following a violent attack on police officers at Wakiso Police Division.
The incident happened on Monday evening at around 5:00 PM. Reports indicate that a group of UPDF soldiers, traveling in a military minibus, registration number UBG 041U, and a Toyota Noah, UBR 647B, stormed the division headquarters and confronted Division Police Commander (DPC) SP Esther Kiiza regarding an ongoing land eviction in the area.
The police say that the thirteen soldiers demanded the DPC assist in enforcing a land eviction. However, SP Kiiza refused, citing the absence of a court order and lack of approval from the district security committee.
While the DPC was attempting to consult her superiors by phone, one of the soldiers, reportedly holding the rank of Warrant Officer, forcibly snatched her phone.
Moments later, other soldiers surrounded her office and opened fire.
The situation escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the intruding soldiers and police officers on duty, prompting the soldiers to flee the scene.
A joint operation involving officers from the Kampala Metropolitan North Region and UPDF units tracked the suspects to Yesu Amala in Wakiso District.
All thirteen were arrested and taken into custody. Authorities have confirmed that disciplinary proceedings are currently underway.
This is the second time soldiers have attacked a police station over land-related conflicts.
In a previous case, military personnel raided Lubowa Police Station, assaulted officers, and forcibly freed a detainee, sparking public outrage and raising concerns about growing inter-agency indiscipline. No arrests were made in regard to that incident.
