General Muhoozi defends masked security forces, citing global practice

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has defended the use of balaclavas by security forces, insisting that concealing their identities is a standard practice among elite military units worldwide.

“Wearing a balaclava is standard procedure amongst all Special Forces in the world. Here is a sample from the British, French and Russian Special Forces. All our Special Forces, including Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force (JATT), will continue wearing balaclavas," he said.

The debate over hooded security personally intensified following recent incidents where masked operatives were seen violently dispersing opposition supporters during the Kawempe North by-election.

His statement comes amid mounting criticism over the conduct of JATT operatives who were accused of harassing journalists and the supporters of Elias Nalukoola of National Unity Platform (NUP), the opposition party, during the elections nominations.

They demanded accountability over the matter but were quickly dismissed.

Gen Muhoozi dismissed the concerns over the lack of identification, directly contradicting State Minister for Internal Affairs Gen David Muhoozi, who had earlier criticised the practice as unacceptable.

During a parliamentary session, Mukono North MP Abdallah Kiwanuka challenged the government’s stance.

“Why are they hiding their faces? Is this part of the directives you have given them?” he asked.

The Minister termed the move unacceptable, emphasising the importance of officer identification in law enforcement.

“If you are enforcing the law, you must be properly identified. We have rules of engagement, written booklets for officers, and we should continue to enforce the law accordingly.”

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