By Weswa Ronnie
JINJA
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) have today Thursday, 25th April, 2024 revealed that an army officer at the rank of Captain has been suspended for allegedly mistreating Muslim leaders at Magamaga cantonment barracks during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to Capt. George Musinguzi, the Busoga sub-region UPDF spokesperson, Capt. Denis Mugisha who happened to be the cantonment intelligence officer at Magamaga Barracks was suspended and is now under investigation by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) over allegations of misconduct involving mistreating local leaders.
“It is true Capt. Denis Mugisha who was the cantonment intelligence officer at Magamaga Barracks was suspended and is under investigation by military intelligence over allegations that he mistreated some local leaders who had come to the barracks to check on the commander, so as of now, that’s what I can give you,” Cap. Musinguzi said when contacted by this publication to comment on the matter.
It should be remembered that during the 2024 Eid-al-Fitr prayers in Iganga town at Municipal Council Primary School grounds, the issue was raised about how the Muslim leaders who had gone to follow up on the arrest of their own were mistreated.
The Muslims said they were reportedly mistreated by an officer at Magamaga barrack and this issue was raised by the NRM Chairperson for Iganga district, Hajji Walubi Abubakar in his remarks of the day.
“I want to present my concern to the government of Uganda which I treasure most. Muslims are not immigrants in our country Uganda and we have equal rights to practice and promote Islam, but there is a security officer who arrested Sheikh Muhammad Affan with his four children and taken to Magamaga but I condemn the way we were treated when we went to the barracks to follow-up on this matter,” Hajji Walubi said during Eid prayers on April 10, 2024.
Sheikh Affan is the proprietor of Uthman Bin Affan Islamic Institute in Nakalama Iganga, an Islamic-founded school which has produced a number of Muslim leaders, among others. He is also a Muslim leader representing the area at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), and also a lecturer at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Mbale.
While at the barracks, Walubi and other prominent Muslim leaders in Busoga who included the Regional Kadhi, were mistreated by the security officer whom he identified as Capt. Denis Mugisha.
It was established that Sheikh Muhammad Afan was arrested in the holy month after his wife lost a mobile phone and one of their children had the phone contacts of the said officer and called him for help, however, the officer misinterpreted the call and baselessly pinned them to be rebels with bad intentions against him.
During the prayers, the Muslim leaders condemned the habit of security organs mistreating people and called upon responsible authorities to come out and apologize to Sheikh Affan and the entire Muslim fraternity for the officer’s misconduct
However, Cap. Musinguzi urged the public to be calm given the fact that the officer is being investigated for the acts of misconduct which reportedly happened at the gate of the Magamaga barracks.
