The police have committed to pay the medical bills of a baby who was hit in the head by a stray bullet as the flying squad pursued armed car robbers in Hoima City on Tuesday.
According to Mr Julius Hakiza, the Kyoga region police spokesperson, they had dispatched their ambulance to transfer the baby, Alumutikivu Kyakuhaire, from Destiny Clinic where he had been taken for first aid to Mulago Hospital.
According to police, the CT scan results showed that a bullet was still lodged in the baby’s head.
“We haven’t denied anything because it wasn’t intentional. When we were pursuing thieves, they tried to block our flying squad and that is how the bullet ended up hitting the baby,” Mr Hakiza said.
“We responded first at a clinic where the baby was taken for first aid but yesterday (Wednesday) when the police were preparing an ambulance to transfer the baby to Kampala, another car had already taken them,” he said.
Mr Ashraf Kyakuhaire, 27, the baby’s father, told this publication yesterday that his wife was with the baby when their son was hit.
He said they had not received any help from the police.
When contacted yesterday to confirm whether they are in charge of the child, Mr Badru Mugabi, the Hoima Resident City Commissioner, said he worked on the referral letter for the child and secured them the transport to Mulago Hospital after confirming that the shooting was accidental.
“I told the parents that the most important thing was securing life first and the Regional Police Commander would requisition for the compensation from the Inspector General of Police [to be given to] the family,” he said.
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