The Ugandan police are receiving 35 CS/VP3 armoured personnel carriers as well as riot control vehicles from China’s Poly Technologies.
The vehicles, in Ugandan police markings, were seen at the Kenyan port of Mombasa on 4 February, where they were unloaded for delivery to Uganda. The consignment included CS/VP3s, riot control vehicles fitted with water cannons, as well as at least one cement mixer in Uganda Police markings.
In April 2014, the Ugandan police requested the country’s parliament to allocate them more funds in the next financial year to acquire equipment for quelling protests around the country.
The CS/VP3 has a road speed of around 100 km and a range of some 800 km. It can be fitted with two turrets, on the front and rear above the crew compartment, and fitted with 7.62 or 12.7 mm machinegunes. The vehicle has a V-shaped hull and all welded steel armour for protection against landmines and small arms. The vehicle can apparently resist a 16 kg TNT blast under each wheel or 8 kg TNT all round. A total of 12 personnel, including the driver and commander, can be accommodated.
There has been speculation that the vehicles were acquired ahead of elections on 18 February. President Yoweri Museveni is looking to continue his 30 year rule and has clamped down on opposition ahead of the polls.
Police spokeswoman Polly Namaye this week said Uganda had bought a consignment of riot control equipment to help secure the poll. “In the process of ensuring that we secure the election … we have had to purchase equipment that we believe will help us in transportation, in crowd control and public order management,” Namaye said.
Critics have accused Museveni of using violence by security personnel to intimidate opposition supporters, while police have drawn public ire for frequently blocking opposition gatherings or using teargas and sometimes live ammunition to disperse them.
The east African country last had mass protests shortly after the last election in 2011 when people took to the streets to demonstrate against high consumer prices, corruption and Museveni’s long rule.
