“Museveni is focused on his survival and not welfare of the state” – says Muntu
The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) leader Major General Mugisha Muntu has condemned the government's reaction to the Sunday morning fire which severely damaged Makerere University’s main administration building.
Muntu, who visited the university to assess the damage, said in a tweet, that the slow and ill-equipped response of the fire brigade sends a clear picture that President Museveni’s government has invested in arming itself ‘to the tooth’ to quell legitimate opposition gatherings but has done very little to protect the citizens and the country’s economy from such fires.
The university's main building was devastated by the fire
Muntu said that, “This reveals an unfortunate reality: the regime is focused on its survival not the welfare of the state. This is not a political argument or attempt to score points. It is a fact and unless Ugandans send a clear message that it is unacceptable, we will have more of the same.”
Muntu said that whereas the nature of the fire warrantes a swift, thorough investigation, government has not invested in being seen as taking such a swift and decisive action.
“On the evidence of similar incidents in the past however, there’s very little basis for such hope,” Muntu added.
The former army commander of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) also noted that the building nicknamed the Ivory Tower was such a historical building and implored the Makerere University administration to quickly review its health and safety measures in order to avoid future recurrences of such accidents.
He said as the ANT, they will not wait for those in power to offer them goodwill in order to start building a Uganda that works for all citizens.
Muntu is an alumnus of Makerere University with a political science degree from the institution. He was an active student leader during his time there.
