Ugandan soldiers arrested for 'assaulting' policewoman

The Ugandan army says it has arrested two soldiers who are seen assaulting a female traffic officer in a video that went viral.

The short video, filmed by an onlooker, shows one of them grabbing Police Sergeant Esther Namaganda's arm as she tries to fight him off. She had stopped their vehicle over a traffic offence.

They are bodyguards for Major General Matayo Kyaligonza, who is seen dressed in a white shirt, walking around the scene with a cane. He doesn’t try to stop the soldiers from grabbing the traffic officer or from attacking onlookers.

In a photo from the scene, Gen Kyaligonza is shown stretching his hand out at Sergeant Namaganda while his bodyguards grab hold of her. According to the sergeant, the general also slapped her in the face, although this is not captured in any video or pictures shared from the scene.

The alleged assault happened on Sunday.

Gen Kyaligonza, who also serves as Uganda’s ambassador to Burundi, has had a controversial past.

In 1989, he was demoted for slapping a police officer.

Gen Kyaligonza denies any wrongdoing and says he is being unfairly targeted.

As a high-ranking officer and a member of the old guard of the army, who helped President Yoweri Museveni come to power in 1986, many are waiting to see whether his involvement in the latest incident will be fully investigated.