After six years, Okoth Ochola’s term as Inspector General of Police came to an end last month. Today, he handed over office to his deputy Maj Gen Tumusime Katsigazi. We examine four failures that have ruined his record.
Beating of journalists
Perhaps his biggest blunder was when he naively and confidently said that sometimes police beats up journalists for their own good. It came after journalists covering NUP’s Robert Kyagulanyi were roughed up during the presidential campaigns.
Ochola said: “What I am saying, when we tell a journalist not go there and you insist that you are going there. We need you and you need us. We shall beat you for your own safety. We shall use reasonable force to ensure you do not go where there is a risk.”
There was uproar for the statement and a few days later, Ochola said he had made the statement in jest. It was a cruel joke nonetheless.
Poor living conditions of officers
When he assumed office after Gen Kale Kayihura, Ochola said one of his main emphasis would be on improving the housing conditions of lowly police officers. Indeed, some housing projects like that one in Busia were commissioned but work stalled as police claimed they did not have money. Like his predecessor Gen Kale Kayihura, Ochola leaves the IGP office with this matter unresolved.
Fighting NRM’s battles
While he was not an overt NRM functionary like Kayihura, Ochola maintained the practice of thwarting the activities of opposition groups in favour of NRM. We saw it during the 2021 election campaigns. Early this year during the NAM summit, police and security blocked Bobi Wine and Dr Kizza Besigye from leaving their homes.
Torture of suspects for information
Ochola has failed to rid the force of officers who torture suspects. He leaves when torture of suspects is still one of the biggest stains on the image of the force. One time, Ochola admitted that it is a shame that same police officers still torture suspects to extract information from them.