BUKWO, UGANDA: Five police officers in Bukwo district have been arrested for the alleged neglect of duty and absenteeism after ten suspects escaped from custody at Bukwo police station on Sunday night.
The suspects were on Monday arrested and detained on the orders of the Sipi Regional Police Commander, Barahukwa Mbabazi.
According to Mbabazi, the suspects face charges of negligence of duty and absenteeism in connection to the escape of suspects from lawful custody.
“This is terrible, I have learned that some of the suspects had stayed for one month in cells this is unacceptable,” he said, adding that they have dispatched their intelligence team to hunt for the escapees.
The ten suspects currently on the run had spend over a month in the police cells with some detained for murder, rape and other aggravated offences.
Samuel Hashaka Mpimbaza, the Bukwo Resident District Commissioner, says the escape of the suspects has exposed the police weakness in the district.
This publication has learned that three of the suspects are Ugandan nationals who live in Kenya and were picked up for murdering two Boda-boda riders. The trio had spent a month in the cells without appearing in court.
Residents Speak Out
Moses Mangat, a resident of Bukwo town council has called for the transfer of top police officers from the district. He claims that the crime rate in the district was shooting up simply because the police are weak.
Betty Chemutai, a resident of Kamkamba ward in Bukwo town council, says police need to conduct thorough investigations surrounding the escape of the suspects, saying there could be foul play since there is no evidence of anyone breaking in at the police cells.
Joel Mutai, another resident, says that police have been messing up cases in the district, adding that something could have exchanged hands.
“Honestly why keep suspects who have been charged with murder for one month in cells without taking them to court if it’s not really corruption?” he asked.
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