Gen. Kayihura Summoned over Promise to Give Crime Preventers Guns

The European Union Ambassador to Uganda Kristian Schmidt yesterday summoned Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura in a tweet to appear on the social networking site and answer if he was quoted correctly.

The Observer yesterday reported that crime preventers will be given guns and that government will not handover power the opposition.

Kristian, used his twitter handle @EUAmbschmidt to ask “General, I respectfully ask: Were you quoted correctly in today’s Observer?”

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga argued that the Kayihura was quoted out of context by the various media houses during the recent event in Kapchorwa. He released a transcribed speech of Kayihura yesterday.

According to the speech released by the Uganda Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura said there is a need to change sticks and give them riffles.

“All we need to do is to change the sticks and give them (crime preventers) rifles and by the way I would like to tell you this, you are a reserve of the army, in case of war, you will be called upon because the police are the reserve of the army, according to the law,” Kayihura said.

“According to the Police Act, the Minister of Internal Affairs, at any time, can call the police to serve as a military force, so by extension the crime preventers in case of any a war, can be called upon. And that’s why they should be trained in skills at arm and self-defense, so that you have a force here.”

However, Gen. Kayihura is yet to respond to the tweet.