In a disturbing escalation of inter-agency tensions, soldiers allegedly attached to the Presidential Taskforce on Land Matters and Environment stormed Wakiso Police Division headquarters Monday evening, ordering the Division Police Commander (DPC), SP Esther Kiiza, at gunpoint to undress and relinquish her uniform. The confrontation was sparked by a disagreement over an illegal land eviction.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the military personnel—thirteen in number—arrived in two vehicles, a green minibus (registration UBG 041U) and a Toyota Noah (UBR 647B), at around 5:00 PM.
Their target: the immediate release of suspects detained in a land-related case and the forced facilitation of an eviction operation that lacked proper legal documentation.
SP Kiiza recounted the harrowing ordeal to fellow officers and superiors. “They came and ordered me to undress,” she said. “They claimed I had defied orders. I asked them whose orders I had defied. They insisted I remove the uniform because I was under arrest.”
Her calm but defiant stance triggered alarm among the station’s officers, 13 of whom swiftly armed themselves and surrounded her office, prepared to defend their commander from what appeared to be an illegal military operation.
The tense standoff diffused only when the soldiers, sensing the rising threat of an armed clash, abruptly fled the station in their vehicles.
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the station promptly alerted Kampala Metropolitan North Regional Police Commander SSP Moses Nanoka, who coordinated with UPDF’s Kakiri Military Barracks for backup.
Within minutes, a joint pursuit team was dispatched and successfully intercepted the fleeing soldiers at Yesu Amala, a short distance from the police station.
“We were able to surround the soldiers’ vehicles. They refused to come out, saying they were waiting for orders from their superiors,” SSP Nanoka said in a report submitted to Kampala Metropolitan Police Headquarters. “We refused to accept that and placed them under arrest.”
The soldiers were not taken back to the police station but transported directly to Kakiri Military Barracks, where they await disciplinary proceedings.
This is not an isolated incident. Barely a month ago, another controversial episode unfolded at Lubowa Police Station. Soldiers from the Special Forces Command (SFC), led by Lt. Samson Amo, reportedly assaulted police officers and civilians after station commander ASP Innocent Sunday refused to detain suspects without charge.
Despite police filing aggravated robbery charges, no prosecution has occurred—raising concerns about military accountability and civilian oversight.
UPDF Confirms Arrests, Pledges Disciplinary Action
In an official press release titled “Thirteen UPDF Soldiers Arrested After Attacking Wakiso Police Over Land Matter,” the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) confirmed the attack and subsequent arrests.
“The soldiers… confronted the Wakiso Division Commander and other officers at the station while pursuing a land dispute. They demanded that the DPC assist in a land eviction, which she refused, citing the absence of a court order and the lack of involvement from the district security committee,” the statement read.
The UPDF acknowledged the ensuing confrontation and gunfire exchange, adding that disciplinary measures are pending.
Growing Civil-Military Strains
The repeated incidents signal a troubling pattern of military encroachment on civilian law enforcement duties—particularly in land matters, where powerful interests often seek enforcement outside legal frameworks.
Analysts warn that without swift and transparent disciplinary action, such confrontations risk undermining public trust in both institutions.
As of Tuesday, SP Esther Kiiza remains in command, hailed by colleagues as a symbol of integrity and courage.
“We were ready to defend our commander to the last bullet,” said one officer who was present during the standoff. “She did what the law demands. She protected her uniform and the Constitution.”
The Wakiso incident has reignited calls for clearer boundaries between military and police operations, especially in civil disputes such as land evictions.
Whether the arrested soldiers face real consequences—or become the latest in a string of unresolved cases—will be a litmus test for Uganda’s commitment to rule of law and institutional integrity.
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