The stoning took place during a by-election campaign rally during which one person was killed.
Six senior Ugandan police officers are facing charges of negligence of duty for failing to stop the stoning of President Yoweri Museveni’s vehicle in August last year by opposition supporters as he took part in a by-election campaign rally in the north-western town of Arua.
The six senior officers were arraigned on Wednesday after they appeared before the police disciplinary court chaired by Dennis Odongpin at Arua Municipal Hall, some 470km north-west of the capital Kampala, the East African reported.
During the campaign rally, one person was killed while others, including six opposition lawmakers, were severely beaten by security forces. After the incident, the six officers were suspended.
Prior to the clashes, the officers had been provided with information and had identified black spots where it was predicted that violence could erupt. They also had adequate machinery and manpower to deal with the situation, according to Regional Police Professional Standards Unit chairperson, Evans Vuata.
However, during their court appearance, one of those charged asserted that they had received inadequate support from senior police officers before he pleaded not guilty.
The others have also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Source: The Citizen
