There have been questions regarding how Katwe Divisional Operations commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police –ASP Julius Gwaivu, was hit by the suspect to the extent of exposing part of his brain.
A video showing ASP Gwaivu’s shuttered head being attended to by doctors has been making rounds on social media with many wondering how could an operations commander be attacked to that extent yet such officers are guarded during operations.
But a report by ASP James Illa Waigo, the Katwe divisional criminal investigators boss, has revealed details regarding the incident in which ASP Gwaivu almost lost his life to the hands of criminals.
ASP Waigo’s findings which have been shared to Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, SCP Stephen Tanui and Police Operation Director AIGP John Nuwagira shows the injured officer who was accompanied by two of his juniors went to arrest suspect Ronald Watenyeri after booking out the operation on SD 100/17/11.2022.
Watenyeri had been reported by Iddi Mufabi for assaulting him and the case was entered on reference number SD 91/17/11/2022. ASP Gwaivu and his two subordinates donned in police Khaki uniform arrested Watenyeri from Kisekka market and put him in a private vehicle.
But as ASP Gwaivu was driving away with the suspect in the vehicle, his car was blocked at about 300 meters distance by three people who have since been identified as Herbert Wekoye, Moses Wambuku and James Namanda.
“That Wekoye obstructed the way of police officers who were driving in a private vehicle by throwing his motorcycle in way forcing them to stop while Wambuku Moses blocked them from behind with a motor vehicle,” ASP Waigo’s report reads in part.
When ASP Gwaivu was blocked from taking Watenyeri, his colleague Wekoye forcefully opened the car and aided him to escape. In response, ASP Gwaivu’s subordinates decided to arrest Wekoye for aiding the suspect to escape but he resisted and made an alarm that attracted the mob that immediately started pelting the police officers’ car with stones.
“When ASP Gwaivu got out of their car, the mob stopped throwing stones after knowing that the suspect Ronald was arrested by police. After Watenyeri Ronald escaping he returned to the scene and assaulted the victim (ASP Gwaivu) with a metal,” ASP Waigo’s report further reads.
ASP Gwaivu’s attack was reported by ASP Mutonyi attached to Katwe police division where a case assaulting a police officer and obstruction on duty was entered on CRB 1921/2022. At that time, ASP Gwaivu’s colleagues had rushed him to the hospital where he needed urgent medical attention and it is where the viral video was recorded from.
A lot has been said ever since ASP Gwaivu was attacked with some police officers expressing dissatisfaction with AIGP Nuwagira summoning a hospitalized colleague to defend himself instead of focusing on arresting his attackers.
But ASP Waigo in the report indicates: “On 21.NOV.2022, the director operations AIGP Nuwagira called ASP Gwaivu to his office at police headquarters to listen to his side of the story about the allegations of assault Vs the arrest of Watenyeri Ronald.”
So far three suspects Wekoye, Wambuku and Namanda James have been arrested. ASP Waigo indicates that a team led by Detective Constable –DC Joseph Muda, went to Bududa to arrest Watenyeri where he fled to after attacking ASP Gwaivu but did not succeed.
Kisekka market is a renowned chaotic scene where security agencies do not just walk in to arrest suspects. Some of police officers are wondering why ASP Gwaivu had only two junior officers when going to arrest a suspect in a renowned chaotic place moreover at 6pm.
