“Drones” are an urban colloquialism for unmarked vehicles which allegedly kidnap Ugandan dissidents.
Police cannot find at least 7 Ugandans who were picked up by 'drones'
Police investigators say they have no clue about the whereabouts of at least seven people whose names keep appearing on the list of missing persons after they were reportedly abducted by “drones”.
The missing persons are part of another 66 cold cases of disappearances reported to the police by the parliament's human rights committee in March this year for further investigations.
These missing persons include George Kasumba, Agnes Nabwera, Sarah Nanyanzi, Mathew Kigozi, Mathew Kafeero Ibrahim Chekedi and John Damulira.
The missing persons were reportedly picked up by security operatives from areas within Kampala, Greater Masaka, and Mukono during the 2020 campaign period.
Police Director of Legal services Erasmus Twaruhukwa says these cases were not reported to the police, however the Criminal Intelligence Investigations Department (CIID) went ahead to make inquiries into the alleged disappearances upon receipt of the names.
Twaruhukwa says details such as missing persons’ contacts, addresses and places from where they disappeared are insufficient and this makes investigations difficult.
Last week, MPs on the human rights committee took issue with the so-called drones, demanding to know who operates them when they are involved in the abduction of Ugandans. The MPs made their demand to top police commanders, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and officials from the Uganda Prisons Service appearing before the committee.
However, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, the state minister for defence (general duties), dismissed the allegations of the kidnappings, saying said drones and safe houses do not exist are not part of the modus operandi of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) under the UPDF.
In March this year, the same human rights committee, led by Fox Odoi, directed the minister of Security, Jim Muhwezi, to produce seven people who have been reported missing since 2020. However, Muhwezi said that the government was still investigating the matter.
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