By Eriah Lule
“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him,” says 1 kings 19: 18. Those were the words the LORD spoke to Elijah, just when the latter assumed he was the only one left of the Israelites that were before faithful to God but had now reneged.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Beyanga Cornelius, may well be counted among the 7000 that have not yet bowed to baal. While many Police dons are daily getting embroiled in corruption or violence cases, sometimes reported by the media, Beyanga is one of the spotless handful who have seemingly received with two hands their God-given responsibility to serve his people.
He is a notable UCU law school alumnus, currently working in the Directorate of Human Rights and Legal Services of Uganda Police where he sits on a panel of six prosecutors of a Police tribunal established to tame the institution’s security operatives. His work includes orientation of new recruits on the Police ethical codes of conduct, in Police academies all over the country.
At such a time when the nation is ravaged with political violence, it can be hard to believe that there are practicing Christians serving faithfully in the Police, to preserve rule of law.
But, there is hope. Thank God for public servants such as Beyanga. As an expert in human rights, he has appeared severally on national radio and television to either clear the air upon media portrayal of the Police forces as violators of human rights amid their operations or to sensitize the public on how to work cohesively with the force.
“The general public in Uganda looks at the Police as perpetrator of human rights, yet they forget we are just also humans who try to keep law and order,” he says.
The father of two children- married to an alumnus of UCU, graduated in 2011, with a Bachelors of Law in 2011. His decision to exercise his human rights expertize within the armed forced was informed by two main factors; first, family background and, secondly, a memorable career talk he attended at UCU.
Growing up, Beyanga had three uncles who were serving in the military. These he believed offered the magnetic pull to join the forces.
While he was at UCU, then Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, gave a career guidance talk at UCU. During the talk, the former police boss hinted on a hunt for recruits with legal knowledge. To Beyanga, this was an open door.
“Since I was a humanitarian, I just felt convicted to join the force. Imagine during our entry in 2014 we were 47 lawyers who joined,” he recalls.
“I thank UCU for the career week that it organized, it is because of those career talks that I am what you see”, Beyanga added.
Before his current position, which he took up in 2018, Beyanga was Deputy OC for the Crime Investigation Department (CID), in 2017, in Lwengo district- Central Uganda. The latter titles are preceded by his role as Officer in Command (OC) in Lamwo district- northern Uganda (2016-2017).
The humanitarian’s performance in Police delights many, including Dr. Anthony Kakooza, a Former Dean of Law Faculty. “I am pleased to see my students thrive and prosper in different fields. This encourages me more to impact these students with relevant knowledge and discipline in order to develop our nation,” he says.
When he lowers the gun, Beyanga picks up a hoe. He owns an agro-produce company called Cousin Factor Uganda Limited, established in Mbarara-western Uganda. This produces coffee, bananas and also deals in Livestock farming. “I am working very hard so that I also become one of the remarkable farmers in the country as well as serving my nation,” says Beyanga, who hopes to make a demonstration farm, of the company. He hopes his colleagues in the forces can pick a leaf from his entrepreneurial endeavors.
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