Arrest anyone announcing me dead- Museveni directs security

President Museveni has directed security to arrest anyone who announces him dead, especially on social media.

Several social media platforms have in the past few weeks been awash with reports announcing Museveni dead whereas others have indicated that he had been admitted in a critical condition in a neighboring country.

The reports indicated that the president had contracted the deadly Covid-19.

However, speaking at the swearing-in of ministers at the Kololo independence grounds, Museveni said it is wrong to announce someone who is alive dead.

“Social media apparently has been saying that Museveni is dead. The other day when I went to that side of Bombo to lay a foundation people were looking at me (with shock) because they had been told by social media that Museveni is dead or something like that,” Museveni said on Thursday.

“The security service needs to also solve that problem.  I need to check with them so that we locate quickly those who tell such a story because you waste people’s time. We should go for you. We should locate where you are and go for you. If you’re in Europe, we denounce you and say go to hell.”

President Museveni has for the past few years enjoyed a love-hate relationship with social media in Uganda.

In April 2018, Museveni directed the Ministry of Finance to introduce a now defunct social media tax called “Over the Top” tax in a bid to curtail what he called ‘gossip’.

The tax was however scrapped in June 2021, after failing to realise both its financial and ‘curtailing’ objectives as social media users in the country continue to grow.

During the run-up to the 2021 general elections in the country, Museveni also directed the Uganda Communications Commission to block major social media site, Facebook and although this remains closed, Ugandans continue to access it with the help of Virtual Private Networks.

Commenting about the security of the country, the president boasted that the group that was terrorizing the country has been busted, to usher in a new era.

“Now we have broken that group. Three of them were killed as they were trying to fight the police and sent them to hell. And to terrorists, I warn, you, if we come for you don’t run, surrender. If you try to run, you are dead,” he said.

Museveni’s comments come on the back heel of the seven people who were arrested by security over the attempted assassination on the Works Ministry, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala.

Security last week announced the arrest of Kamada Walusimbi aka Mudinka, Siriman Kisambira aka Mukwasi, Juma Saidi, Juma Sserwadda and Muhammad Kagugube aka Bafumoya whereas Hussein Wahab Lubwama aka Master and Mustafa Kawawa Ramadan aka Amin were shot dead as they allegedly attempted to escape.

According to the deputy Inspector General of Police, Gen Paul Lokech, the group was part of the Allied Democratic Forces(ADF) cell in Uganda that was trying to restablish themselves, adding that they have been involved in several murders and robberies in various parts of the country.

Seven of these group members were on Thursday morning arraigned before court and charged with murder and terrorism before being remanded to Kitalya prison.

Additional reporting by Jonah Kirabo