Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Police Force have denied allegations of sexual harassment in the form of sodomy against individuals arrested during last week’s anti-corruption protests.
Over 100 protesters were arrested by security agencies while marching to Parliament.
According to Police Spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma, no formal complaints of sodomy have been received from detainees. “We’ve heard that there are suspects who are alleging sodomy. As Uganda police we haven’t formerly received any complainant. The complainants reported to the university don called Spire and Spire said, he was just rumoured to that this is what is there.” Kituuma said during the weekly security briefing
Kituuma emphasized that the Uganda Police Force takes such allegations seriously and would immediately investigate if a complaint was filed. “The suspects in question were taken to court on the same day, without spending a night in custody,” he added.
However, Kituuma urged victims to come forward and report their cases to the police. “We cannot deal with anonymous victims. There is no shortcut; we need concrete evidence to take action,” he said.
The allegations of sodomy surfaced after over 100 anti-corruption protesters were arrested last week. The protesters were marching to Parliament to demand action against corruption when they were arrested by security agencies.
The Uganda Police Force has faced criticism in the past for its handling of detainees, but Kituuma’s statement suggests that the force is taking steps to address such concerns.
