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The Government has reacted to criticism of briefly detaining a US soldier saying Lt. Col. Frank Musisi was abusive to the immigration staff on arrival. 

Musisi on January 31, 2024, arrived at 10:00 pm aboard a Brussels Airlines flight at Entebbe Airport from John F. Kennedy Airport.

The Internal Affairs Ministry equally released a four-minute and 45-second video showing someone it says is Musisi dressed in a grey jacket, a brown sweater T-shirt, and jeans asking for forgiveness before immigration authorities that had briefly detained him in the night.

“He was abusive to the airport authorities but he apologised in the end,” Internal affairs spokesperson Simon Mundeyi told New Vision Online.

According to Mundeyi, Musisi abused everybody who tried to ask for his passport.

“He refused to tender in his American passport for inspection as per the airport immigration arrival procedures and instead hurled abuses,” Mundeyi added.

Musisi explains in the video how he had spent three days on a flight which caused the stress he had unleashed on the immigration officials.

“My head, I may even be required to take medicine, I am stressed, I am extremely stressed. Whatever I did I apologise if I was rude to you,” Musisi says with frequent hand gestures in the video.

The two immigration officials who were lashed at by Musisi were brought into the room where Musisi was being interrogated and he equally apologised before the junior immigration officials as the government officials reminded Musisi how soldiers are supposed to be the most disciplined people.

“You should keep your issues to yourself and then subject yourself to the authority where you are,” an immigration official advised Musisi whose apology had been accepted at the airport.

Three-hour detention

The Government response regarding Musisi’s detention was made when a one-minute and 53-second viral video of Musisi revealed how he had been detained for three hours after being posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“When you humble yourself, you can be frowned upon! ” Musisi said in Luganda in the video as he explained how his good nature could have been misinterpreted for pride.

In the clip, Musisi appears to be speaking to Ugandans and reveals how he was detained for more than two hours.

“The immigration refused to give me my passport in the country in which I was born and they revealed how I had pride. I looked at them as a woman made me sit down. I tried to make some phone calls but most people were asleep. Imagine being arrested for three hours. Do you think you can return after that experience?” Musisi said.

According to Musisi, he revealed how he called Uganda's deputy ambassador in Washington DC but along the way, one of immigration officials advised that he should be set free since he was well known to her.

“I got back my passport after three hours. This is the country you live in. This was an example to me,” Musisi says as the video suddenly comes to an abrupt end.

Musisi was born in the Kalangala Islands where he has been involved in charity programmes and is popular among the locals for constructing a medical facility to help people access medical care.

Musisi previously was President of the Uganda North American Association (2007-2009).