The Uganda Police Force has dismissed — as false and misleading — reports that it deployed a fire fighting truck to help protestors in the recent anti-finance bill demonstrations in Kenya.

While terming the reports as malicious propaganda, the Uganda Police says that it has nothing to do with the recent spate of protests in Kenya.

“Our counterparts, the Kenyan Police, know that we have nothing to do with the protests. We continue to respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Kenya and its decisions. Mutual respect and understanding continues to be the basis of our cooperation with the Kenyan Police,” Uganda Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said in a statement.

The reports emerged last Friday, June 21 after a video on social media showing a Uganda Police fire truck surrounded by protestors in Nakuru.

“We would like to refute the false and malicious propaganda, surrounding the video footages of its driver, who was captured amidst protesters in Nakuru, while transporting, a Uganda police Fire truck, under registration number UP 9596, from Kenya to Uganda, on the 21.06.2024,” a statement from the Uganda Police says. “The propagandists and their co-conspirators, falsified their stories, claiming the Uganda Police, was involved in the recent protests in Kenya, which was false and misleading.”

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the fire truck belongs to Masaka Central Police Station and Rescue Department.

It developed a mechanical problem in April 2024, and it was transported to Nairobi, Kenya capital for mechanical repair.

“On the 21.06.2024, as the fire truck was being driven back to Uganda, its driver came across several protesters in Nakuru, who recorded it during transit. The fire truck driver eventually proceeded and entered Uganda on the 21.06.2024, and was captured on CCTV at Busitema, at 11:49: 25am, enroute to Masaka via Kampala,” the Uganda Police statement adds.