During a joint press briefing at Uganda Police Headquarters in Nagulu, security chiefs on Monday made an attempt to debunk the narrative around vehicles commonly known as “Drones” which have become synonymous to kidnaps and mischief in the country.
The Acting Director of Traffic Road Safety in Uganda Police, CP Nuwabaine said “drones” have no attachment to security and the public have totally mis-represented the issue concerning these vehicles when actually they are harmless. Nuwabiine also disputed allegations that the said vehicles which are commonly used in kidnaps are first stripped of number plates; claiming the plates fall off.
We now publish Nuwabiine’s response – word-by-word, to provide an accurate submission on the matter that has become highly contentious.
“Most of you have talked about these drones; where does the word drone originate. Let me now inform you; Drone, these matatu drivers in the city, because of speed of that new Toyota Hiace, they equated it to a drone and so the word drone is synonymous to speed. Many of these vehicles are new in this country. And when they are getting imported, they come with funny small plates fixed in front and sometimes not fixed in the hind.. or the rear. They are not fixed. Now at times, those small plates fall off and you seen on the highway and no wonder many of your complaints refer to the highways where these drones are. And when they reach in the city center, they move to different bonds; and when they go to those bonds, you think some of these vehicles are security vehicles when they are units imported in this country. The law does not allow a person to drive a numberless vehicle in town. And in case you are coming from somewhere and the number plate falls down -you lose it, you quickly go to the nearest police, report and police must will give you a form that you must proceed to the licensing office and process a new number plate; and that takes a short time. However, when you see such a number plate (vehicle) and you have not known whether the driver has reported to police and proceeding to the licensing officer, you tend to blow it beyond proportion and as if this person is supposed to carry it on either head or a certain carrier and take it to the licensing authority. First ascertain; and that’s why I say you may be having information which you need to give us and we impound these vehicles; and we shall. Otherwise, the law does not allow any person to drive a numberless vehicle” Nuwabiine said.