Police to take action against perpetrators of political violence

Aug 05, 2017

Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of ICT and national guidance said the directive was made following the increasing wave of politically motivated intolerance

 

Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of ICT and national guidance. Photo/File

The cabinet has directed the police to firmly take action against any personalleged to be intimidating and or attacking any other citizen on account of their divergent views.

According to a press statement signed by Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of ICT and national guidance, the directive was made during a cabinet sitting on Friday, following the increasing wave of politically motivated intolerance among sections of the political class, resulting into physical attacks on targeted people.

The minister noted that the cabinet drew their conclusions from the incident which occurred in Mubende at the celebrations to commemorate His Highness the Kabaka's coronation, where a one Williams Ntege (aka ‘Kyuma kya Yesu ') physically attacked Kassanda North MP Simeo Nsubuga.

He added that similar cases of extreme intolerance involving actual physical attacks and/or assault have been reported against MP Arua Municipality Col. Ibrahim Abiriga, minister in charge of Kampala Beti Olive Namisango Kamya and Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister for Constitutional Affairs.

The cabinet also called upon the media to deny coverage or tolerate guests who trade insults and use threatening language bordering on violence against others whose views they disagree with.

"Some leaders have been going in the media to issue threats against others with different views.  Cabinet therefore called upon the media and all journalism practitioners to always moderate their debates within the confines of the minimum broadcasting standards," reads the statement.

The statement also pointed out that Government has not yet discussed the issue of age limit as contained in article 102(b), and that the ongoing discussions in the public domain are citizen driven.

"And any Ugandan or group of Ugandans is/are free to call for any amendment in the Constitution. Government will not stifle them," he concluded.

 

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