Police replace four suspended Masaka officers

The police leadership has replaced four senior police officers in Masaka sub-region who are being investigated over recent scandals in the area.

Last weekend, the Police Professional Standards Unit (PPSU) summoned the four officers in connection with the July 2 gruesome incident where a boda -boda rider set himself on fire inside Masaka Central Police Station traffic office. Several other residents have also accused the officers of brutality, torture, unlawful detention and extortion.

The affected officers include; Masaka District Police Commander, Mr Bosco Bakashaba; Masaka Regional Criminal Investigations Officer, Mr Elias Bairuka; Mr Owen Nahabwe, who is in charge of operations in the region and the officer in charge of Nyendo Police, Mr David Kanakulya.

Replacement of the quartet comes days after residents especially in Nyendo, a Masaka City suburb complained that criminals had started to terrorize them following a shakeup in police leadership in the area.

Mr Muhammad Nsubuga, the southern regional police spokesperson said Mr Majid Wepukhulu has replaced Mr Bakashaba as district police commander.

Mr Wepukhulu has been the officer in charge of Masaka Central Police Station. Mr Bairuka, the regional criminal investigations officer has been replaced with Mr Aaron Tusiimwe.

The regional operations officer Owen Nahabwe has been replaced by Mr Abasi Alubeya while Mr Godius Tumuhereza replaces Wepukhulu as the officer in charge of Masaka Central Police Station. Mr Joseph Walimbwa, is now the new officer in charge of Nyendo police station, replacing Mr Kanakulya.

Mr Nsubuga asked residents to accord the new officers support so that they can ably execute their duties.

“Police work is not a one man’s’ show, but it requires the involvement of all stakeholders and this is how Mr Kanakulya had restored sanity in Nyendo,” he said.

Mr Walimbwa asked residents in Nyendo to support him in the fight against criminality.

Last week, the police disciplinary court tried and later dismissed two police officers Sergeant Julius Ewalu and Sergeant Ibrahim Ssesanga after they were found guilty of corruption and scandalous behaviour.

They found that misconduct of Ssesanga and Ewalu led to the death of Hussein Walugembe, a boda -boda rider who set himself on fire inside Masaka Central Police Station. Walugembe is said to have taken the decision after failing to raise Shs40, 000 to bribe the cops before they could hand back his motorcycle.