THROWBACK: The Day Gen Matayo Kyaligonza Slapping A Female Traffic Police Officer For Stopping His Illegal U-TURN In Seeta

It was February 24, 2019. What should have been an ordinary traffic enforcement exercise in Seeta, Mukono District, turned into one of Uganda’s most controversial public confrontations involving a senior retired military officer, a female police sergeant and two military escorts.

At the centre of the storm was Maj Gen (Rtd) Matayo Kyaligonza, who was then serving as Uganda’s Ambassador to Burundi.

The incident began when a vehicle carrying Kyaligonza reportedly attempted to make an illegal U-turn along the Kampala-Mukono highway. Traffic Sergeant Esther Namaganda, who was on duty directing traffic, stopped the vehicle and attempted to enforce traffic regulations.

What followed shocked many Ugandans.

Video footage that circulated widely on social media showed a confrontation between Kyaligonza’s entourage and the female traffic officer. His two military police escorts, identified as Lance Corporal Peter Bushindiki and Private John Robert Okurut, were seen physically confronting Namaganda. Kyaligonza was also accused of slapping the officer during the altercation.


Namaganda later maintained that she was simply performing her professional duties when she was attacked. The incident quickly became a national talking point, with many Ugandans questioning whether ordinary police officers could safely enforce the law when dealing with powerful individuals and their security teams.

Kyaligonza, however, defended the conduct of his team, arguing that they were attempting to avoid a potentially chaotic accident scene ahead and alleging that the officer had insulted them.

The Uganda Police Force condemned the incident and announced investigations into allegations of assault and obstruction of an officer on duty. The UPDF also issued an apology, describing the conduct of the soldiers as regrettable.

But the controversy did not end there.

On February 27, 2019, Parliament unanimously adopted a motion calling for Kyaligonza’s recall from his diplomatic assignment in Burundi. Lawmakers questioned the conduct of a government representative who was expected to uphold discipline and respect for the law.

President Yoweri Museveni also publicly insisted that Kyaligonza should face the law rather than be shielded by his military background or diplomatic position.

The matter eventually entered the courts. Kyaligonza and his two escorts were charged in March 2019 over allegations arising from the confrontation. The charges against Kyaligonza included assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while his escorts faced additional assault and obstruction allegations.

The case also involved UBC journalist Peter Otai, who had filmed the confrontation and was reportedly assaulted while documenting the incident. Court records identified him as another alleged victim.

In August 2019, the High Court intervened in proceedings after the accused challenged the handling of the criminal cases, raising questions about parallel proceedings in civilian and military courts.

Years later, the Seeta confrontation remains an important chapter in Uganda’s public debate about security personnel, accountability, diplomatic privilege and the treatment of ordinary citizens.

The most uncomfortable question raised by that February afternoon remains relevant: When a traffic officer stops a powerful person’s vehicle for violating the law, should her authority depend on the identity of the person behind the wheel?

For Sergeant Esther Namaganda, it was supposed to be just another day of enforcing traffic regulations. Instead, she found herself at the centre of a national controversy that placed the relationship between power and accountability under intense public scrutiny.