As Uganda mourns the sudden demise of deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech, a few weeks ago he found himself on the defensive after human rights lawyers demanded for an explanation on why handcuffed suspects in the attack of Gen Edward Katumba Wamala had been shot dead.
The rights advocates response was triggered by statements made by Lokech claiming two suspects on the June 1st incident that left Gen Katumba’s daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Haruna Kayondo had been killed for trying to fight forces.
Gen Katumba’s shooting suspects who had been killed and were mentioned by Lokech included Hussein Lubwama alias Master and Mustafa Kawawa alias Amin. But inquisitive journalists later established that actually four suspects had been gunned inline of investigations.
Other killed suspects were named as Juma Said and Idris Sserwadda. The media established that Lubwama had been shot dead on handcuffs at Kawaala while Kawawa, Said and Sserwadda were riddled with bullets Kanyogoga village, Bukasa parish, Makindye division of Kampala.
Gen Lokech who was the overall overseer of the investigating team comprised of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce and Crime Intelligence, explained that Lubwama was the first person to be ‘put out of action’ because he attempted to fight forces with his martial arts skills. For Kawawa, Gen Lokech said he was running away from security team at the home of Said in Kanyogoga where two SMG AK47 rifles and a pistol were allegedly recovered.
He added that the entire group was attached to ADF terror cell commanded by Sheikh Badir Din Bukenya. “We are meanwhile expanding both our investigations and operations to ensure all emerging domestic terror cells are cracked down, and the remaining remnants identified and brought to book. In addition, concerted efforts are also in place to trace and establish the whereabouts of the overall coordinator Sheikh ABUDIN HUBAIDA TAHEEL BUKENYA who is on the run,” Gen Lokech said on July 2.
Rights defender, Dr Livingstone Ssewanyana the executive director of Foundation for Human Rights Initiative- FHRI, said the killing of Gen Katumba’s suspects contravened article 28 (3) of the Uganda constitution that provides for presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.
“First, I sympathize with Gen Katumba Wamala for the brutal murder of his daughter and driver. But even if there was evidence linking the suspects to the incident, they were not supposed to be killed before they are proven guilty or innocent in court. What was done was extrajudicial killing,” Dr Ssewanyana said in July.
Umar Nyanzi, a member of Muslim Center for Justice and Najib Kasule a member of Network for Public Interest Lawyers, also condemned killing of Katumba suspects and demanded for an incident report detailing on how they had been killed.
Kasule said there was no excuse killers of Lubwama, Kawawa, Said and Sserwadda. He added that unarmed person cannot overpower dozens of security personnel armed with guns. Kasule argued that security should have maimed the suspects.
Nyanzi added that the security agencies’ action had also contravened article 22 (1) that states “No person shall be deprived of life intentionally except in execution of a sentence passed in a fair trial by a court of competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Uganda and the conviction and sentence have been confirmed by the highest appellate court.”
Gen Lokech in response to journalists’ question on why all suspects in high profile crimes in Uganda are always Muslims, he said that the nature of ADF terror cells you cannot serve with them unless you converted to Islam. That statement too wasn’t received well by Muslim lawyers led by Nalukoola Luyimbazi who demanded for the apology from Gen Lokech saying his statement was characterizing Muslims as terrorists and also was against right to freedom of worship and region as enshrined in article 29 (1) (b) of the constitution.
Unfortunately, Gen Lokech did not address the media again until he was pronounced dead on Saturday morning. His last scheduled address to media was on July 13 but he delegated Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, on the last minutes for unknown reasons.
Gen Lokech will remembered for having fought militant groups in DR Congo, South Sudan, Northern Uganda and Somalia. He was also a disciplinarian as in mid this year dismissed over 70 police officers from police force after they were repeatedly cited in corruption tendencies.
Brief facts of Maj Gen Lokech
He was appointed deputy Inspector General of Police on December 16, 2020 replacing Maj Gen Stephen Muzeyi Sabiiti. Born in present day Pader district, Lokech joined the army in 1990s but he was quickly noticed as a relentless soldier who later became a commander.
In among the many wars he fought in his life, Maj Gen Lokech is remembered for flashing Al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia. Among the key and historical sites he rescued from Al-Shabaab, was the read mosque in Mogadishu capital city. That earned him a nickname Lion of Mogadishu. That was during his first tour of duty as UPDF contingent commander in 2011 to 2012 and he was commanding battle group eight.
Museveni sent Lokech back to Somalia in 2017 up to 2018 still as contingent commander. At the time, he had been promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General. Before the second command role in Somalia, Lokech was commander for UPDF 2nd Division based at Makenke in Mbarara district.
Although little is captured about his primary, secondary and university life, Lokech is in books of history as having been part and parcel of the UPDF operations in DR Congo where an attempt was made to flash out ADF rebels commanded by now Jamil Mukulu. He commanded forces in South Sudan and Northern Uganda during the insurgency caused by Lord’s Resistance Army –LRA.