Al-Shabab targeting schools on Kampala-Jinja highway

By Moses Walubiri

UGANDA police is in receipt of "credible" intelligence information that the Somali based Al-Shabaab militant group is planning imminent attacks on schools, colleges and universities on Jinja-Kampala highway.

The terror alert comes on the heels of a massacre of 147 students at Garissa University College in Kenya by the same group.

According to Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, the terror threat posed by Al-Shabaab is real as Ugandans prepare to enjoy their Easter holiday. He has called for increased vigilance by members of the public to augment the already enhanced security deployment.

"We have credible information that Al-Shabaab intends to attack schools, colleges and universities along Jinja-Kampala highway. This calls for increased vigilance by everyone if we are to remain on top of the situation," Kayihura told the press on Friday.

Asked about the source of the intelligence reports, Kayihura said: "It's not important. But what is important is that the information is credible."

Last week, the United States warned of possible attacks in Kampala on areas that are routinely patronized by foreign nationals.

Kayihura however warned that Al-Shabaab might be placing a red herring by indicating possible attacks on educations institutions along Jinja-Kampala highway, only to launch a grisly attack on another part of the country.

Kayihura said the terror alert was in respect to all education institutions, churches, mosques, entertainment places, shopping malls, commercial buildings and other public places that attract mammoth crowds.

"There will be enhanced security deployment in all parts of the country. I think you have already seen this," Kayihura said.

The police boss also used the impromptu press briefing to urge education institutions to activate security committees as required by the basic standards for education institutions.

These committees, Kayihura said, will liaise with security agencies to routinely review security situation in such institutions with government security agencies in order to help to secure them.

"Any school, college or institution that fails in this regard will be sanctioned because this is a requirement by ministry of education," Kayihura said.

Reacting to concerns that regular terror threats is spawning a sense of fear in the country and in the process scaring away tourists, Kayihura said the security of the country would be more compromised if police got wind of such threats and decided to keep quiet.

Drawing examples from Kenya which does not issue terror alerts, Kayihura said that contrary to fear that terror alerts blanked the country in fear, terror warnings "enhance vigilance."

"Ounce tourists see that there is enhanced security, they feel that their security is enhanced," Kayihura said.

On Thursday, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Wafula Oguttu, took exception to the routine terror alerts, warning that Ugandans earning a living from the tourism industry are being hit hard in the pocket as tourists cancel their trips to Uganda over alleged security threats.

Kayihura revealed that plans are under way to train crime preventers in all parts of the country in order to increase what he labeled as "listening posts and observation posts."

He averred that the assailants that early this week killed Joan Kagezi, the acting assistant Director of Public Prosecution would have been, at the minimum, apprehended if the area where she was murdered had crime preventers.

In response to questions about the mooted extradition of Australian based Ugandan born cardiologist, Dr. Aggrey Kiyingi, over allegations of funding terrorist activities, Kayihura said that police is waiting for an arrest warrant by court before it sets in motion the process.

"We hope to contact the federal police of Australia. Although we do not have an extradition treaty with Australia, we hope they will cooperate since they are members of Interpol," Kayihura said.

In an interview with a British newspaper, Kiyingi laughed off the possibility of getting extradited to Uganda saying it's beneath the Australian government to do.

Government has linked Kiyingi to the recent spate of murders of Muslim sheikhs in different parts of the country.  Kiyingi says accusations are politically motivated and that they are aimed nipping his alleged presidential bid in the bud.