Police warns DPC Kirumira against resigning through media

Police has warned Buyende district police commander Muhammad Kirumira against resigning through the media.

 

Today, Wednesday, Kirumira took to social media to announce that he was resigning from the force following a police tribunal charging him of both criminal and disciplinary charges. Kirumira says he is resigning from his post because the crime beneficiaries within police are after tarnishing his image.

 

“As a senior officer who has laboured to to wipe out crime without any special facilitation, I have realised that my image before the administration shall never change, and given the fact that I am still a young man, I have resigned from the force to enable the police court fulfil their motives”, he wrote on Facebook. 

“I now await an official message replacing me such that I can hand over office to whoever is deemed fit…Eventually when the court makes its verdict, I will put in my official retirement application to earn my discharge letter.

I want to leave the police since its clean and I’m branded dirty. I will not accept to hold office meanwhile am being tried. I would love to keep my reputation as a freedom fighter. This is my decision which I shall not change permanently. For those who are hurt I’m sorry indeed”, he added. 

Earlier, in a message sent to The Observer on Sunday, Kirumira who is facing charges of assault, corruption, extortion, torture accuses police of witch-hunt saying “these are same old charges which lack merit, I challenged them in 2014 and they were dropped”. 

“Some of the witnesses were killed by police like Kato Pius who was killed in 2012 August and I had been charged for assaulting him, he was a notorious robber with [police] protection.

 

When I arrested him on grounds of possession of counterfeit money both shilling and pounds, I was charged for assault, I won, I was [cleared] by court later on Kato is killed at Bweyogerere fuel station, now after 7 years it’s one of the cases I’m answering again in police tribunal. That is just one example. Think critically and examine the reason for this”, he wrote to The Observer. 

 

“Secondly, if I’m charged with corruption, bribery and extortion, why [am I] not taken to Kololo Anti-Corruption court which gives punishment and fine than police courts. It’s also doubtful, then if I’m charged with torture who are the victims and how will they benefit from police court?

 

Anyway why don’t they call for justice in criminal court than [an] internal court? It raises queries…Seven years no evidence so it’s seen today when I’m wanted to clean the city?! Wow”, he added. 

Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima in a statement released this evening says the police officer’s actions are scandalous and cannot be tolerated in the force.

“When the full wrath of the law weighs on you, it will be you alone to tell the story and you will need no sympathy,” Kayima warned Kirumira in the statement.

The Police Act provides guidelines for an officer to resign which include writing to the permanent secretary of ministry of Internal Affairs, which request is discussed and cleared in the police administration chaired by the Minister of Internal Affairs. 

Kayima says instead of following the laid down procedures, Kirumira has contravened the code of conduct of any serving police officer. 

“He has even gone ahead to grant interviews to some media houses which is an act of indiscipline and totally contravenes the code of conduct of serving police officers,” Kayima says. 

Kirumira, however, says if he has committed any crime by making media statements, it should be added on the charge sheet. 

“If anyone feels that by me saying this I have committed a crime, let them add it on the other ones. I want to leave the force a clean man,” Kirumira said. 

 

Kirumira was a week ago charged in the police tribunal for crimes allegedly committed in 2013 and 2014 when he was in charge of Nansana police station and Old Kampala police station respectively.

Kirumira pleaded not guilty to the charges ranging from torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority.

He also faces charges of neglect of duty and corruption practices contrary to Section 44(1) Code 23(a) and discreditable or irregular conduct contrary to Section 44(1) Code 12 of the Police Act.

The cases of extortion and torture being prefered against Kirumira have been under investigations by the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) for years. 

In fact, Kirumira who has grown through the ranks from a police constable in the last eight years was in 2014 suspended for allegedly torturing a suspect and cutting off his finger.

The suspect was months later shot dead while robbing a mobile money shop in Bweyogerere prompting the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi to re-instated Kirumira before closing off his case.

Kaweesi was looked at as Kirumira’s godfather in the force before he was shot dead in March last year. Despite the cases, Kirumira has been recognised within the force and by residents as having been pertinent in fighting crimes in Nansana and Kisaasi, Wakiso district.