"Don't use terror attacks to settle political scores," Mpuuga warns government

The Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga has rallied the population to cooperate with security agencies in efforts aimed at fighting the terror threats but with a caveat: not to allow to be used by the state.

Mpuuga made the demand during a press conference at Parliament in relation to recent explosions that claimed two lives in two separate attacks.

The first explosion went off in Komamboga, a suburb of Kampala claiming the life of one Emily Nyinaneza, while the other was on a Bushenyi bound bus and claimed the life of one Isaac Matovu.

Both attacks have been linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Mpuuga wondered why the country’s security agencies didn’t take seriously an alert by the UK government of a possible terror attack and instead offered assurances of their readiness to deal with any form of threats.

According to the police, the Komamboga attackers used an improvised explosive device (IED) at the popular hangout leaving at least one person dead and scores others injured.

A day later, a suspected suicide bomber blew up himself aboard a Mbarara-bound bus at Lungala in Mpigi along the Kampala – Masaka highway.

Mpuuga encouraged the population to cooperate with security because terror is indiscriminate and advised them to be vigilant and report appropriately.

“We want to warn the general public to avoid being used in circumstances where the state is so desperate,” he said, making reference to statements by an attendant at a pork joint in Komamboga, who said one of the attackers was wearing a red beret.

"That kind of conduct is dangerous to the public, and some of us who have been here for a long time know how the Ugandan state works. The public should desist from being used by the state in ignorance by exploiting their gullibility," he said.

He also appealed to the government to avoid using the resurgence of the terror as an opportunity to settle political scores.

"Whereas terrorism breeds desperation, government should not act desperately. When citizens are scared, the government has a duty to continue assuring the public that they are in charge. When we hear stories of accusations without proper investigations including accusations against political groupings, our understanding is that the government would have elected not to investigate but to act in haste and lose an opportunity to investigate and get to the bottom of the investigations," he said.