The Police says that a group of sponsored and dedicated social media actors are currently behind the posting and circulation of old videos that negatively portray the Uganda Police Force.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga told a weekly press briefing at Naguru on Monday that it’s this group that last week retrieved and circulated as new a 2015 video of a female opposition activist in Kasese who was “being arrested in an unprofessional manner by female police officers.”
“Last week, selected political and social media actors, posted old videos of police misconduct that included that of a female activist who was being arrested in an unprofessional manner, in 2015, by female police officers. The victim went on to undress before the cameras, and the videos shared immediately,” Enanga said, adding “This was followed by footage of a police-involved shooting in the Rwenzori region in 2017. The events seen that time were disturbing and the police provided the public and human rights groups with clear, articulated responses, including the disciplinary action taken against the officers.”
The Police Spokesperson said he has been forced to respond now “because of the anti-police propaganda surrounding the release of the selective videos to the media, and the public, to re-victimize, demonstrate, and portray the police in the negative light, fueling fear and distrust of police.” “The group has adopted the use of anti-police videos as a new tactic and are posting daily, pictures and videos, showing acts of alleged police misconduct and falsely propagating them as images of a non-functioning state, whereas not,” the Police Spokesman said.
“The multiple videos comprise of narratives, as part of a coordinated political and media campaign to use inflammatory and hate speech to amplify their criticisms. For instance, they have repeatedly attacked the judiciary and the police in decisions that did not go in their favor,” he added. Enanga says police have further established that the group uses a network of sponsored and dedicated online supporters who negatively multiply their messages and manipulate the public into thinking constantly about police misconduct.
“As police, we resist all forms of fear-mongering, hate speech and negative advertisements which if successfully manipulated, promote moods of fear and uncertainty in the public,” Enanga emphasized. “We want to assure the many news organizations that continue to use social media and other shareable videos, which are instrumental in exposing police misconduct that we will respond to every video, released surrounding the conduct of our officers, in a very transparent manner, and continue taking sanctions against those who act inappropriately or illegally,” he said.