Security forces have good strategy to secure 2021 polls, says Gen Tumwine

Security minister Gen. Elly Tumwine has said the security forces have "a good strategy" for securing the 2021 elections and are even going to keep changing tactics, depending on the situation.

He made the remarks on Sunday, November 22, while talking to New Vision at his residence in Kampala.

Tumwine congratulated the security forces and patriotic Ugandans who played their role to quell the riots that broke out in Kampala and other towns after the arrest of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, on Wednesday, November 18. "It was a surprise, but the security forces are now better prepared.

The unfortunate incidents of deaths and injuries are regrettable, but that is what goes on with violence. We should all condemn those who started it in the first place," Tumwine said.

The arrest of Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, at his campaign venue in Luuka district and his detention at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja, saw over 30 people killed, scores injured and at least 577 arrested in the two days of protests.

Other unofficial reports put the death at well over 40.

The Police said Kyagulanyi was arrested over alleged violating of COVID-19 safety measures on public gatherings as issued by the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Health.

He was subsequently charged in the Iganga Chief Magistrate's Court on Friday, with doing an act likely to spread infectious diseases, under Section 171 of the Penal Code Act. Kyagulanyi, however, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.

Chief magistrate Jessica Chemeri warned him to adhere to the set guidelines by the Ministry of Health and the Electoral Commission to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

PREMEDITATED VIOLENCE

Tumwine told New Vision that all evidence show that the violence was "premeditated, planned and ready to execute".

"These are the wrong plans for destabilisation. When hooliganism and violence take place, all those rights and freedoms get affected, and everyone gets affected," he said. He said the moment any Ugandan put himself or herself in such a situation, then they should be ready for what goes with that situation.

"If you go in for boxing and they hit you hard, do you complain that you were hit hard? If you plan, prepare and get tyres in the road, block the public from enjoying their freedom, their business, you burn the road, beat and undress people, burn their clothes, throw stones at the security forces, vandalise and loot, you are doing it at the risk of your life," he said.

He argued that the peace-loving patriots of Uganda, who he said are the majority, both among the old and the young, "are not and cannot accept the few misguided criminals to disrupt our hard-won peace, stability and progress". Tumwine fi red the fi first shot that marked the beginning of the 1981-1986 National Resistance Army war that brought the NRM-led government to power. In the process, he lost an eye during one of the battles.

"This stability has been at a price and sacrifice. I give hope to the patriots, old and young not to be intimidated by the few wrong elements being used by forces against our country's progress, knowing where we have come from," he said.

DEFENDS SECURITY FORCES OVER SHOOTING RIOTERS

 He defended his statement that security officers have a right to shoot protesters if they reached a certain level of violence.

"If you threaten the lives of the security forces and the lives of the public, they have a right to shoot you. That is why they are armed with coercive weapons to make you fear committing crimes. So, if people don't take that genuine and peaceful advice and want to gloss over it in chaos, they should go ahead," he said.

 Asked about the indiscriminate shooting by security forces during the riots, he retorted: "Was the violence discriminate? Would you have liked the violence to continue or how would you have handled it? If people are not listening and are threatening to kill others and the Police shoot in the air and somebody gets a stray bullet, do you blame them?"

"All efforts by the negative media and negative sectarian and divisive groups will be defeated like before. Everyone has a choice on who to support but base that supports on whether he or she is defending our common interests as opposed to who is threatening your future to put it in chaos," he added.

During an earlier briefing on Friday at the media centre, Gen. Tumwine, issued a tough warning to rioters, saying whoever starts violence in the country shall get violence in return from the security forces.

"Those who are inciting violence and advocating violence; I want to assure you it will catch up with you because you reap what you sow. When you sow violence, you will reap violence against you," he said.

"The arrest of one person cannot justify what has caused death, injury, destruction and stopping people to enjoy their peace. The future belongs to the organised and disciplined. It does not belong to the violent," he noted.

He also said there is no one who is immune to arrest, even if they are a presidential candidate, noting that arrests are part of managing society.

He again urged the youth against being used by rioters, saying they have received intelligence that foreign forces are the ones using the young people to destabilise the country's peace.

According to the Police, the rioters were being coordinated by allegedly a group of 300 ring leaders who were co-ordinating the distribution of tyres to purported fl ash points using motor vehicles and bodabodas.

Police say ringleaders included Malingolingo Nkedi, a contestant for councillorship in Nansana Municipality; Ashraf Machete, commander freedom bodabodas; Nusifa Nakato, a contestant for councillorship at KCCA; Saul Kulya, councillor Kawempe North; Rhoda alias Mama Kampala, a mobiliser for NUP cells in Bwaise; Thomas Bagonza, a NUP candidate for councillor seat Bwaise II Kawempe and Mathias Walukagga, who has been allegedly mobilising in Busoga region.

GENOCIDE MESSAGES

He said those "wasting time with sectarian, genocidal messages should be opposed by all and even more by the Baganda because they have specifically talked about them."  "Ugandan society is so integrated, peaceful.

We are talking of the nation of Uganda and even eventually of East Africa, so anybody who can speak for the tribe is not for that tribe, but against it. It means he is causing all the others who are not of that tribe to hate them, yet they are their friends and partners.

So, the Baganda should disassociate themselves from those who are speaking the genocide language in the name of Buganda," Tumwine said. "I don't believe the majority of Baganda are supporting those people because they are all our friends, relatives and are all over Uganda; it is just putting them in danger. 

Some of these agents of foreign interest are publicly talking of organised genocide and have gone to the extent of wishing Uganda to be Libya, Iraq and other disrupted countries. What a shame for anybody who wants to lead this country to wish Uganda to break up," he said.

(Additional reporting by Betty Amamukirori)