KAMPALA-The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has condemned the deployment of police dogs during the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential Candidate’s campaigns in Kawempe on Monday.
The lawyers umbrella body in its statement dated, signed by their Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, they have described the action as a violation of citizens’ constitutional rights and an intimidation tactic inconsistent with democratic values.
ULS also stated that, it had taken note of widespread media reports and video footage showing the Uganda Police Force using trained dogs as a crowd-control measure during the campaign event held on November 24. The deployment was reportedly accompanied by the use of tear gas, violent dispersal of crowds, and the arrest of several civilians.
The Association has described the use of police dogs in political gatherings as “a grave breach” of the right to peaceful assembly, noting that such tactics have historically been associated with oppression. The statement referenced the apartheid era in South Africa and the United States Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, where police dogs were used to intimidate and brutalize peaceful demonstrators.
“Drawing from this history, the deployment of police dogs in political rallies today reflects a continuity with colonial and apartheid-era practices, where animals are weaponized to instill fear and enforce authoritarian control,” the statement read.
The legal body emphasized that the mandate of the Police Canine Unit is primarily for crime scene investigation, tracking suspects, narcotics and explosive detection, and search-and-rescue operations — not intimidation at political events.
ULS further expressed concern over what it called arbitrary and indiscriminate arrests of innocent people in Kawempe. According to the statement, several individuals who were merely using public roads and were not involved in the rally were reportedly arrested. The organization described this as an abuse of the rule of law and a violation of constitutional rights to liberty and due process.
ULS has therefore has called for:
An immediate and unconditional halt to the use of police dogs at political rallies and campaigns.
The release of all innocent civilians allegedly arrested arbitrarily during the Kawempe campaign events.
Full compliance by security agencies with constitutional policing standards that respect human dignity and the rights of all Ugandans, regardless of political affiliation.
ULS Vice President, Asiimwe Anthony, reaffirmed the society’s commitment to defending the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, stating that such intimidation tactics have no place in a democratic society.
“If the state permits its law enforcement agencies to unleash living creatures as instruments of political coercion, what does it say about the rule of law in our country?” the statement questioned
