Kasangati policewoman who accused Kampala commanders of corruption arrested

What the report says

A police corporal in Uganda, Fatina Mukolerwa of the child and family protection unit at Kasangati police station, has been arrested after publicly accusing senior Kampala Metropolitan Police commanders of improperly ordering the release of a suspect. The Observer reported that Mukolerwa’s claims surfaced in a social media video that spread online and centered on a domestic violence case she said she was handling.

In the account reported by The Observer, Mukolerwa alleged that the suspect, Sylvia Arinaitwe, resisted arrest, bit her during the operation, and was later freed after contacting influential people. She also said she had been advised to take post-exposure prophylaxis because of concern about possible infection. The allegations involved senior KMP officials, including commander ACP Ezekiel Ebapu Emitu, whom Mukolerwa accused of intervening in the case.

Police rejected the claim that the release was irregular. KMP deputy spokesperson ASP Luke Owoyesigyire said Arinaitwe had been arrested, that a scuffle happened during the operation, and that officers later found children unattended outside the home. He said the suspect told police the case was being used in a family dispute over the marital home and property. Police said Arinaitwe was bonded so she could care for the children while the matter continues.

According to the police response reported by The Observer, Mukolerwa’s conduct and the circumstances of the arrest are under investigation. Police also said officers should raise grievances through internal channels rather than social media, and that disciplinary action would depend on the findings.