It was drama on Sunday night in Ibanda district as the deputy RDC got a taste of the common man’s whip by police while enforcing the covid 19 presidential guidelines.
Seif Katabazi the Deputy RDC of Ibanda District narrated this ordeal as one he would never forget.
The police landed on Seif Katabazi and beat him to pulp in a mistaken identity scenario while enforcing COVID-19 guidelines.
Katabazi said that he had gotten out of his home along Jubilee street in Ibanda’s main city centre after noise emerged outside.
On reaching there, he found police telling people to close their shops and enter their houses in line with the COVID-19 guidelines.
“I questioned one of the police officers and he told me that they were telling people to close shops and they were refusing. I told them not to use force but rather allow me to talk to the people to close, but as I was still supervising locals closing their shops, another police group came and one police officer who is yet to be identified started clobbering me without questioning,” Katabazi said.
Katabazi said that this officer continued clobbering him even after he explained that he was the deputy RDC.
It was only until that another officer ordered him to stop that he stopped beating me mercilessly.
Katabazi wondered if a person of his status can be beaten like a chicken thief, what of the common ordinary man who is unknown.
“If an RDC like me can be beaten, what then happens to a common Ugandan who is not known anywhere. I cautioned police to always use common sense while implementing the guidelines but they have failed to,” Katabazi added.
Samson Kasasira the Rwizi Regional Police Spokesperson said the police officers have guidelines to follow while implementing the presidential directives.
He however said police would investigate the entire matter before action is taken.
“As police, we will investigate the matter conclusively and find out what exactly went on before we take action,” Kasasira said.