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Five Ugandan police officers arrested in Kenya

Tuesday April 23 2019
UG

A Uganda police patrol pick-up truck at Busia Police Station in Kenya. The vehicle that was used by Ugandan police officers to pursue a truck carrying illegal goods in Kenyan territory was impounded by Kenya police on April 20, 2019. PHOTO BY DAVID AWORI

By MONITOR

Five Ugandan police officers were arrested by Kenyan police on Saturday for alleged breach of security protocol.

The officers, who were later released, were arrested at the Busia border for allegedly crossing into Kenya illegally.

The officers are attached to the Field Forces Unit at Tororo Police Station in Busia District, Uganda.

They were intercepted and arrested at Korinda police check point on the Busia-Kisumu highway in Kenya, while pursuing a truck carrying contraband. They had strayed nearly five kilometres into the Kenyan territory.

The patrol truck, which the police officers were using, was also impounded.

One of the witnesses told Daily Monitor that after the arrest, the officers were disarmed and taken for interrogation to the Busia Police Station on the Kenyan side of the border.

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BOUNDARY

Mr John Nyoike, the Busia Kenya county police commander, confirmed the development.

“They were intercepted after they unknowingly entering into Kenya through Buteba and Alupe as they pursued the truck carrying illegal goods,” he said.

“We have no problems with the officers because they were pursuing the truck and because our borders are not marked, they incidentally found themselves on the other side of the border.”

He added that the Kenya police have begun investigations to find out the circumstances under which the truck, which was bound for Kampala, entered Kenya.

He, however, said occupants of the Ugandan registered truck that was carrying illegal goods escaped.

“The truck was carrying scrap metal, old car batteries, car wheels, radiators, among other assortment,” he said.

Mr Jacob Narengo, the Busia Kenya county commissioner, said lack of boundary marks on the borders makes it difficult for police officers to differentiate between Uganda and Kenya territories.

“We have similar landscapes, people speaking similar languages and the absence of clearly marked boundaries,” he added.

Mr John Njoroge, a businessman, said there was need for a clear demarcation of the boundary to solve the continuous breach of security protocol.

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