Sort security gaps in Uganda

SECURITY

By Ssemanda Allawi

In the recent days, Ugandans have been engulfed with shocking cases of murder and most recent, the new kind of horror where people are kidnapped and ransom demanded from family members. All this is happening as men in charge of Uganda's security seem to be boxed-in supremacy contest.

The increasing yet unsuccessful investigated murder cases should make us ask the hard questions, for from the look of things, what we don't know and cannot predict is that, we cannot tell how many blind spot(s) lay a head despite living in fear of who maybe next victim.

Prof. Nassim Nicholas Taleb taught us that, Black Swan are events that overturn the established ways of thinking happening as people watch only to realise their effects long after they have happened.

Put in a proper perspective, the current and persistent cases of insecurity which the Police claim to be isolated incidences point out major weaknesses on part of our police.

Our concerns are valid - going by Machiavellian teachings, those who live on the mountains have the best view of the valleys, and those who live in valleys have the best view of the mountains. My article is informed with views from those who live in valleys where I live. Whether authorities in police see my view as a mere speculation, I must state it after all, speculation is a gift of intellectual curiosity.

In the valley where I live, I see the mountain from where Police sit, the mountain has turned into dirty swamp stinking with contaminated waters, with some officers whose interests is not security of Ugandans. Despite appearing smart, dressed in uniforms Ugandans pay for through nose with their taxes, the mountain where the Police sits inside is dirty and should be drained of the milky waters that make it stink. It is like the white washed tombs Jesus told us in Mathew 23:27 which look clean outside, but stinks from all corners inside.

No wonder, when unknown people attacked and killed the assistant Inspector of Police, Andrew Felix Kaweesi in broad day light, President Yoweri Museveni observed: "All these murders, I have followed myself. There are always clues leading to the criminals but the criminals have infiltrated the Police". He then ordered Police Boss (now dropped as of March 4, 2018) Gen. Kale Kayihura, to "clean the Police of these infiltrators". Unfortunately, the good general did not do as was directed or if he ever tried, he probably may have used wrong elements who instead removed clean men that were closer to him so as not to be noticed easily.

On closer look, the now endless security gaps point a bigger picture of a failing Police force. It looks like after securing President's trust evidenced by his re-appointment, the IGP relaxed giving criminals a chance to terrorise Ugandans. Put differently, he relaxed like a frog enjoying a steam bath in water under direct sun. If you put a frog in boiling water directly, it will jump out of it and run to save its life. But if you put it in cold water, it will sit and relax. If you slowly increase the heat, it will continue relaxing thinking its sun warming the water, as the water gets more warmer, the flog will continue enjoying steam bath and get sleepy and dreamy. By the time it realises temperatures have gone too high, it will have become weaker and dizzy that it cannot jump out and this is how it will perish in the sleep and dream.

At this state, some several officers in security are like this sleeping frog and the president's trust in them is the boiling pot. The tragedy is, if police fail because of the sleeping frog, we Ugandans will continue to be killed by criminals taking advantage of police's laziness to trace them or as the powers that be in police enjoy sleep.

Ugandans will in turn blame the President whom they voted as Commander-in-Chief and expect him to protect them from all forms of danger.

In the whole country; it is only President Yoweri Museveni who took oath before God to protect all Ugandans, and if anything bad happens to anyone of us, he is surely the only man answerable for defaulting his oath and letting down Ugandans.

We may blame criminals for their heinous acts or blame the Police and security agencies for failing to hunt them down, but before God, it is the President's obligation to protect all Ugandans from any kind of misery and suffering because he is the man in charge!

If Police or other security agencies mess our security and Ugandans become victims, they will not blame the two (now dropped) generals in security dockets, the blame will fall squarely on President Museveni. To sum it all, the back stops with Museveni. If the senseless killings of Ugandans continue, Ugandans will blame President Museveni for not protecting them and this is what being in charge means. Mr President, since it is you we will blame for everything because you are in charge, you then have the responsibility to bring everyone to order. And indeed you seem to have taken action. It is your right, whip them to order, by firing all those messing our security.

The writer is a PhD student of international relations and diplomatic studies