SECURITY BRIEF
9th February 2016, Uganda police armoured vehicles arrived at the port of Mombasa days after Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta presented armoured personnel carriers to the Kenya police service.
More than 35 anti-riot vehicles arrived at the port of Mombasa as Uganda is gearing up to the February 18 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Uganda police in April 2014 requested the country’s national assembly to allocate them more funds in the next financial year (2015/2016) to acquire APCs for quelling possible protests around the country.
The APCs in Kenya will be used by the police in securing the volatile frontiers of the country.
The Kenya’s National Police Service will no longer rely on other agencies such as the Kenya Defence Forces to perform their duties in dealing with crime and terrorism activities.
ALLEGATIONS
The armoured vehicles have features such as water cannons, riot controls and wedged front plows, caused a stir last week when they were spotted at the Port of Mombasa.
Uganda government has been criticized by the opposition over acquiring the armoured vehicles saying they are meant to intimidate them (opposition) ahead of February 18th, 2016 presidential elections.
Uganda police has come out strongly to defend the importation of the armored vehicles and downplayed the opposition claims as baseless.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Polly Namaye assured of their security during after polls saying they should not be worried by the importation of police vehicles among other weaponry as they meant to protect the country and its citizens from ill-intentioned individuals.
On February 18, over 15.2 million registered voters are set to take part in picking their next president in what has been touted as the fiercest battle ever witnessed in Uganda’s elections.
Congrats
Let’s also equip police officers in every country, congrats Ugandan govt .here in Kenya we are done.
Security first