Residents expell Police OC over failure to provide security – The Kampala Report

The officer in charge (OC) of Kabarwa Police Station, Wilbrod Oile, was forced out of his office by angry residents after being under house arrest for two days. The incident occurred following protests by the residents over alleged corruption and the police’s failure to provide security in the area. The protests paralyzed operations at Kabarwa Police Station, prompting some officers to flee.

The unrest began early Thursday morning around 6:00 a.m., when hundreds of residents stormed the police station, forcing Officer Oile to seek refuge inside his house. When the protesters realized he had locked himself in, they barricaded his door with logs and thorns.

The protests were sparked by an incident on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, when an unknown gang beat up residents near the police station. Despite the proximity, police allegedly failed to intervene, leaving three victims, including a pupil from a nearby school, with severe injuries.

Julius Odeke, a resident of Kabarwa, expressed frustration over the police’s inaction, stating that the attack left the victims severely injured. He noted that the residents were outraged by the police’s failure to respond to the incident.

Bashir Otim, another resident, accused the Kabarwa police of inaction despite receiving intelligence reports containing the names of individuals allegedly terrorizing the community. He claimed that some of these individuals are friends of the police and that there is a known training area in Kabarwa where wrongdoers are allegedly trained, yet the police have taken no action.

Ben Angura, the LC3 Chairman of Kabarwa Sub County, corroborated the claims, stating that similar incidents have occurred in the past, with the police failing to take action. He added that a group of residents has been attacking others, seizing property, and even burning homes and motorbikes in the presence of the police.

On Friday evening, Officer Oile emerged from his house and was instructed to pack his belongings under the watchful eyes of the community. He informed our reporter by phone this morning that he has been redeployed to boost security at Bukedea Comprehensive School ahead of the East African Games in Bukedea District.