Museveni blasts army officers for beating school pupils in Jinja

President Yoweri Museveni has blasted army officers who this week battered parents and pupils of Kimaka Guardian Primary School in Jinja.

Museveni, who was addressing journalists at the State Lodge in Kawumu Luwero District on Wednesday, noted that the incident exhibited that some weevils had entered Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF).

The President who first explained that he went to the bush to fight and defeat rogue armies of the previous regimes said he sees no reason why soldiers and civilians cannot live in peace.

He did not explain further what as the commander in chief will do to the officers who were seen battering the victims on camera.

But he later said the security forces in Uganda have no place for rogue officers and vowed to court martial those who will continue to misbehave.

The beating of civilians in Jinja was sparked off by a bitter land wrangle pitting UPDF against the school owners.

Following the incident, UPDF issued a statement, saying that it is the rightful owner of the land and that all efforts to evict the illegal occupants legally done for several years had been futile.

While answering a question on the rampant land evictions in Uganda that has left hundreds of peasants landless, Museveni asked the victims to report the perpetuators to the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire Commission of Inquiry in land matters.

Museveni explained that all those who will be implicated in land grabbing whether soldiers or politicians will be brought to book.

He said he had a clear goal of dealing with the land grabbers when he constituted the commission.