“Drone vans always come with small plates which fall off on the way- Police boss explains why ‘kidnapping’ cars move around without number plates 

Kampala Metropolitan Police Traffic Director Lawrence Niwabiine has explained why some drone cars move around in some parts of the country without number plates.

The toyota Hiace vans have of late made a name in Uganda as ‘kidnapping cars’ allegedly used by security agencies to abduct people, specifically those supporting National Unity Platform (NUP)-the main opposition political party headed by Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

Addressing the media at Police Headquarters in Kampala on Monday, Niwabiine said when drones are imported in Uganda, they come with small plates which later fall off thus explaining why most of such vehicles move around town without registration plates.

“These toyota Hiace baptized drones because of their speed are new in this country so when they are imported, they come with funny small plates. Now at times those small plates fall off and you see them moving on the highway. No wonder many of your complaints refer to the highways where these drones are and when they reach at the city center, they move to different city bonds. When they are going to these bonds, you think they are security vehicles yet they are units imported to this country,” Niwabiine claimed.

“The law does not allow a person to drive a numberless vehicle in town and in case your coming from somewhere and the number plate falls down, you must quickly go to the nearest police station, report and police will give you permission that you must proceed to the licencing officer and process a new number plate and that one take a short time.”

Early this month, the Minister of Internal Affairs, General Jeje Odongo, admitted that security operatives have been using drones in the alleged kidnap and torture of a number of Ugandans.

Gen. Odongo who gave a statement in Parliament, explained that some of the security officers, who he described as overzealous, have been arrested as investigations continue.He said a total of 44 reported kidnappings had been recorded at several police stations but only 13 had been investigated conclusively by the police.

However,while addressing newly elected NUP Councillors in January at his home in Magere, Wakiso District, Bobi Wine said an estimated 3,000 party members have been abducted.