Give me nine months to upgrade Kampala city, evict crime completely- Museveni

President Museveni has said he is annoyed and pained by the unnecessary deaths of Ugandans especially through shootings by unknown assailants but noted this will soon be a story of the past.

A number of prominent figures in society have in the past few years been shot dead by unknown assailants using almost the same methods.

Right from the murder of Muslim clerics to Maj.Muhammad Kiggundu, Joan Kagezi and AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi to the recent one of former Buyende DPC Muhammad Kirumira, assailants traveling on motorbikes open fire on vehicles of their targets before killing them instantly and riding away swiftly.

Many people have come out to lash at Museveni and his government for failure to stop the wave of killings.

Speaking during his second address on the state of security in the country at Entebbe State House on Saturday evening, the president said despite being saddened by the unending deaths in a similar fashion, he is sure this will be brought to an end soon.

“What is worrying and annoying Ugandans isn’t just the killings. When it comes to the security of a country like Uganda, the issues shouldn’t be handled in isolation, they’re all linked,”Museveni said.

“I am annoyed and pained by these unnecessary deaths of Ugandans; but I am confident because we have the capacity to respond.”

Gives nine month ultimatum

Museveni said that nine months from now, all the required technology including cctv cameras will have been installed on almost all major highways and centres in the towns of the country.

Police recently revealed that a total of 3233 new closed circuit television cameras(CCTVs) are set to be installed in various areas of the greater Kampala Metropolitan area in addition to the ones already in place.

A total of 5552 cameras are expected to be installed countrywide.

Museveni said as the country awaits for the cctv cameras and other technical means to be put in place, the country can still rely on human intelligence and human observation.

“In the meantime, using the old methods while the new system is being put in place, we shall defeat the terrorists. I don’t want us to continue losing people while we continue to put the new systems in place. We need to be vigilant by reporting new people, motorcycles and cars that you notice following you,”Museveni noted.

The president however noted that killings by shooting are not only in Uganda but also in the developed countries like the US but was quick to add that the only difference is that in those countries the perpetuators are brought to book using technology.

“As I mentioned in the address of last week, in the USA alone, a number of killings have taken place in recent years according to some records. All these have resulted in the death of a total of 56,214 persons. The difference, however, is that, in the case of the USA and other developed countries, on account of modern eyes (cameras), modern ears (listening to telephones of criminals) and modern noses (smelling for explosives), etc., the perpetrators (the doers of these acts), are quickly known.”

He insisted that in the meantime, old methods including being vigilant, quick coordination with police, deployment of the reserve force and removing bad elements from the police force will help fight criminality all over the urban areas which are mostly affected.

“By the end of 9 months from today, most of the elements of the smart and safe city will be in place. We can, then, scale down the reliance on human intelligence and human observation because the technical (the machine) means will be in place.”