A fresh standoff has emerged between the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the Uganda Police Force following the recent gunfire incident in Kampala’s central business district, with ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde sharply criticising the conduct of security operatives captured in a viral video.
The footage, widely shared online, shows armed officers firing into the air during an operation at Kiseka Market on July 20.
Police later defended the action, stating the shots were warning fire aimed at dispersing a hostile crowd that had attempted to block the arrest of suspected offenders. Two suspects were subsequently apprehended.
However, Ssemakadde has rejected the police explanation, raising concerns over the legality and accountability of the officers involved, particularly their appearance in plain clothes.
“Let me be unequivocal: you cannot call them ‘security officers’ when they are stripped of the very emblem of their office — the uniform,” he said in a strongly worded statement.
“A security officer operating in plain clothes among the Ugandan public is not conducting lawful operations; they are perpetuating state-sanctioned opacity.”
He argued that uniforms are essential for public accountability and transparency, warning that the use of armed plainclothes operatives in crowded civilian areas creates fear and confusion.
According to the ULS president, such tactics blur the line between legitimate policing and unlawful conduct.
Ssemakadde further questioned the use of firearms in a densely populated urban setting, warning of potentially fatal consequences.
“What if that stray bullet had found its mark in an innocent bystander? We would be mourning another avoidable death,” he stated.
Drawing parallels with past political unrest, he referenced the violence witnessed during the November 2021 elections, cautioning against a repeat of similar incidents.
“We have seen this playbook before… we will not accept a rerun of that horror,” he added.
He insisted that Uganda is not under any emergency that would justify such operations, calling for an immediate halt to the practice.
The remarks add pressure on authorities as debate intensifies over policing methods, use of force, and public safety in urban centres.