No More Illegal Detentions: Minister Kamuntu Directs Security Agencies to Follow the Law

What the report says

Uganda’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ephraim Kamuntu, has instructed security agencies to keep arrested suspects only in gazetted detention facilities and to handle them strictly according to the law. In remarks reported by Watchdog Uganda, he said the government would not accept unlawful arrests or detention and stressed that constitutional protections for suspects must be observed.

Kamuntu made the comments while presenting a statement in Parliament on selected security incidents and the government’s response. He also said police would work more closely with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary to speed up trials, particularly in murder cases. At the same time, he argued that suspects should be taken before court rather than routinely granted police bond or bail, and said security agencies should focus on lawful processing.

The minister outlined wider security plans, including expanding a community policing model in which each sub-county would have more officers, motorcycles and a toll-free contact line. He also said police would map murder hotspots and study crime patterns to guide deployments. Kamuntu said Uganda remains generally secure, while acknowledging that some crime is linked to land disputes, poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, and repeat offenders.

Opposition MPs welcomed the pledge on legal detention but questioned whether illegal holding facilities still exist and whether the community policing plan is properly funded. Government officials responded that police are prioritising available resources and mapping areas most in need of additional personnel.