Former Buyende District Police Commander Muhammad Kirumira was driven to the Police Headquarters from Nalufenya in Jinja at about 10 am amidst tight security. The Assistant Superintendent of Police briefly addressed the media about his condition in detention as he sat in the Police car waiting to enter the Police’s Disciplinary Courtroom. “I was taken to Railway Police Station but I was picked at midnight and taken to Nalufenya so I should not talk to people.” Kirumira was later ushered into the Courtroom by the officers of the Counter Terrorism Police who were guarding him. The media was not allowed to record videos in the Courtroom that NTV managed to take some shorts. Kirumira made several complaints to Court. “Any person who accuses a police officer before anybody, before any official, before any institution; that person records a statement to the effect of him or blame. She has brought here three people who don’t own a statement against me and you wonder where she gets their contacts to call them to come to this Court. If witnesses have shown loss of interest, she is going to become a witness and this witness before Court is not an official of Court. She is not having a duty to summon witnesses; it is the duty of the prosecutor to move to the scene, call them, serve them with the summons and they come.” Said, Muhammad Kirumira – Former District Police Commander, Buyende.

The Chairman of Court Senior Commissioner of Police Dennis Odongpiny read the charges of torture. The details are that Kirumira while serving as Police Officer In charge of Nansana Police Station tortured two people; Pius Kato and Patrick Ochaya while they were in detention. But Court Prosecutor Senior Superintendent of Police Catherine Kusemererwa failed to provide witnesses for the two cases citing the death of one Pius Kato and failure to reach Patrick Ochaya. She asked Court to drop the charges. Kirumira also faced charges of irregular conduct for accusing the Inspector General of Police under Police Professional Standards Unit of fabricating charges against him. The prosecution was not ready with the witnesses either, Kusemererwa claimed that they were threatened because of the wide media coverage of Kirumira’s conduct and apparent public sympathy to him. The accused Kirumira asked for bail but it was denied. Court adjourned and Kirumira was remanded to Railways Police Station in Kampala a detention facility for high ranking Police Officers.

The Court’s Chairman Dennis Odongpiny spoke to NTV after the proceedings. “This Kato Pius has died and without him that case....because he was the one who was arrested, tortured and money extorted from him so without him you can’t prove that case. So that case we withdrew. And another one a journalist from Red pepper stated it very clear that he is a friend of ASP Kirumira and he is not going to testify. On his bail application Court will rule on it on Tuesday.” Said, Dennis Odongpiny – Chairman of Police Disciplinary Court.