Police gives MP Ssebagala guards over threats

By Moses Mulondo

POLICE has assigned two guards to the Parliament Imam Latif Ssebagala who is also the Kawempe North MP over intelligence reports that he is being trailed by the group that has been killing Muslim sheiks.

In a letter to the director of parliament police dated July 16, 2015 from Uganda Police Force VIP Protection Unit commandant Elias Kassirabo, Ssebagala was allocated two police constables (Hamuza Ssali and David Nandala) to protect him.

“I hereby deploy the officers to take up his security with immediate effect,” Kassirabo instructed the director of parliament police.

Addressing the press yesterday at parliament on why he has been given two police officers to guard him, Latif Ssebagala said, “I was told by police that they have received information that some people have trailing me with an intension to kill me.”

The former chairman of the Buganda parliamentary caucus said he had refused the police officers but was told it was an optional matter since police is mandated to protect the lives of Ugandans.

“I have called this press conference to inform the nation and my people of Kawempe North about the situation under which I have been given police officers to guard me. It is a strange experience for me which am trying to get used to.”

He however argued that giving guards to whoever is threatened is not sustainable and appealed to government to apply the necessary efforts to capture individuals behind the killing of Muslims.

“We have again and again requested for a substantive police report on these killings but it is yet to come. When Sheik Hassan Kirya had just been killed, the internal affairs ministry promised they would present a comprehensive statement but they have not yet done so,” he stated.

The legislator elaborated that the killings have created anxiety and fear among Muslim leaders to the extent that some are thinking of going into exile for their lives.

He poured cold water on the Inspector General Kale Kaihura’s statements attributing the killings to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

“If ADF has capacity to carry out such killings within the capital city, then the country should be afraid knowing that we are surrounded by ADF rebels,” he reasoned.

Appealing to government to make thorough investigations, Ssebagala said the manner in which sheiks are murdered in Uganda is related to the manner in which sheiks are killed in Nairobi, Mombasa and Somalia.

Sheikhs assassinated in similar circumstances in the recent past include Hassan Ibrahim Kirya, Abdu Rashid Wafula, Abdul Kadr Muwaya, Mustafa Bahiga, Abdu Karim Sentamu, Hajj Abubaker Kiweewa, Yunus Abubakar Mudungu, Muhammad Maganda, and Abdu Jawali Sentunga.

Several Muslim leaders including the Tabliq leader Muhamad Yunus Kamoga have been arrested in the connection to the assassinations.