Kyotera residents accuse security of abducting people ahead of polls

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents in Kyotera are crying foul over their missing relatives and colleagues whom they claim have been illegally detained by security authorities ahead of the general elections.

The concern comes after a resident identified as John Kiwanuka and 4 others went missing after they were reportedly picked by security operatives for unknown reasons on Saturday and since then they are still missing.

Teddy Naluswata, one of the residents of Kisamula village in Kyotera town council in Kyotera district says that in the same night Kiwanuka was arrested, her husband Ronald Muwonge was also picked from their marital home and taken to unknown place over unclear reasons.

Locals are wondering how the security authorities can just hijack people from their homes without telling them reasons as to why they are arrested in such a manner.

Andrew Kagwa, one of the neighbors to Kiwanuka says that people that took away Kiwanuka could have broken into his house because they found everything at his home broken and messed up.

Grace Nakanjako, another resident who says that her husband Frank Lusemba was also picked over unknown reasons by the security operatives is asking the district security authorities led by the resident district commissioner to intervene and help the residents have their people released from illegal detention.

Residents claim that the arrests may be politically motivated because some of the arrested people have been supporters of John Paul Mpalanyi, one of the contestants of Kyotera County seat, wondering why the arrests are being conducted ahead of the general elections.

The southern regional police spokesperson, Muhamad Nsubuga has dismissed the claims of security authorities arresting people illegally asking those with missing relatives to go to Masaka regional police offices and open up cases so that police can start investigations into the matter.

With police denying any arrests, it is now hard for their families of the persons who have been picked, and they have to heed Mr Nsubuga’s advice and file cases of missing persons.

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