Exclusive: Museveni speaks out on Tumukunde, fate of 2021 elections
President Museveni has for the first time spoken out on the arrest of former Security Minister, Lt.Gen. Henry Tumukunde and on whether it would be feasible to hold elections in 2021 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an exclusive interview with NBS TV, Museveni justified the arrest of Tumukunde saying the army general, who has declared that he will stand for president in 2021, went overboard in some of his comments.
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“People are who want to be president are not arrested. Bobi Wine has said he wants to be president no one has arrested him. Tumukunde went beyond and there is evidence. I don't want to go through this because it's before court,”Museveni said in the interview.
“We had an election with the likes of Ssemwogerere(Paul), Mayanja(Kibirige),Kamya(Beti).Abed(Bwanika) etc Which of them has been arrested?”
Tumukunde early this year announced his bid to challenge president Museveni for the presidency, a factor that has always brought high-ranking army officers into trouble.
However, while appearing on NBS TV, Tumukunde said he would understand if the Kigali establishment tried to overthrow Museveni’s government with its current intelligence gathering weaknesses, statements that didn’t go well with authorities leading to his arrest.
According to police spokesperson, the former spymaster’s statements were out of order and necessitated his arrest.
The state alleges that retired Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde was on the 5th day of March 2020 at Impala Avenue Kololo in the Kampala district found in possession a modified AK 47 rifle and a Star pistol without valid firearm certificates.
Tumukunde was last month denied bail after declared that his sureties not substantial.
According to Justice Wilson Kwesiga, Tumukunde ought to bring two sureties who are UPDF officers of his rank of Lieutenant General or above.
Meanwhile on the fate of the 2021 elections which some politicians want postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Museveni said Ugandans should tune in to the full interview today on NBS TV, to know his position on the matter.
Museveni's full interview will run on NBS TV at 9.00 PM, today, May 11.
