Police defend Museveni on “terrorists” comments during his security address

Police have defended President Museveni on comments regarding terrorists he made on Saturday during his security address to the nation.

In a televised address on Saturday evening, the President said the army commando unit deployed in Kampala had taken out of action people he referred to as terrorists who had wanted to destabilize the 2021 election.

“We brought a distinguished commando unit from Somalia- which had also destroyed ADF rebels. This commando group quickly defeated the terrorists who wanted to disturb elections. They killed some and arrested some of these terrorists," the President remarked.

The comments have since attracted a lot of criticism, with many saying that the President is basking in impunity.

However, addressing journalists on Monday, the Police director in charge of Crime Intelligence, AIGP Brig Christopher Ddamulira said the actions of some of the people arrested warranted them to be branded terrorists.

“Following the announcing of results on January 16, 2021, we had a number of incidents of throwing petrol bombs at Nsangi along the Kampala- Masaka road. I don’t know what one would call that if not terrorism! Vehicles and people were targeted by goons. People used meshed nails to disable roads on that road,” Ddamulira said.

“There were others in the central business district. One along  Nkrumah road where they threw a petrol bomb on a government vehicle, another one at Arua Park and another one in Kikuubo. If all those are not incidents of terrorism, then we need to have a proper conversation on the hole aspect of terrorism.”

The Police director in charge of Crime Intelligence insisted that the actions that the said people were involved in warranted them to be branded terrorists as was done by the President.

“We have seen people throwing letter in homes of different people warning them of bad things to happen to them. If that kind of fear of not terrorism, then we need a candid conversation about the topic.”

The police director said there have been a number of handbills thrown in various parts of the country calling upon people to reject the outcome of the election and asking them to join riots.

According to AIGP Brig Ddamulira, with the reopening of social media, such acts increased.

On Saturday, National Unity Platform presidential candidate in the just-concluded election, Robert Kyagulanyi accused President Museveni of falsifying the number of NUP supporters arrested by security agencies as well as “downplaying atrocities against Ugandans” during his address to the nation on the security situation.

Forum for Democratic Change strongman, Dr. Kizza Besigye on the other side accused the President of being arrogant during his address but noted that the statements were an admission that he(the President) oversaw the violation of the country’s laws on human rights and basic freedoms.