Last week, lawlessness was witnessed around major towns in Uganda, characterized by the violence, vandalism looting, intimidation and threats, crimes that were being committed targeting people who are not pro-NUP and also against people’s property after the Uganda Police Force managed to arrest Hon. Kyagulanyi Sentamu Robert in Luuka district.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flag bearer was arrested due to the violation of the SOPs intended to stifle the spread of covid19 as issued by the Independent Uganda Electoral Commission. This sparked off violent demonstrations around the country after the legislator and presidential hopeful was detained at Nalufenya police post in Jinja district.
The Uganda Police Force says that the violent demonstrations were being coordinated by a group of three hundred (300) ring leaders who were actively coordinating the distribution of tyres to their flashpoints and hotspots, using Motor vehicles and Boda bodas.
The Deputy Defence Spokesperson (UPDF) Lt. Col. Deo Akiki during the address on the assessment of the security status in the country disclosed that priorly, there was credible intelligence about groups and individuals planning to plunge the country into chaos.
UPDF has taken a reinforcement posture across the districts of Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Entebbe to conduct a mobile thrust in and outside of the city. They will also carry out extensive pre-emptive and decisive operations to deal with the planned and premeditated designs of criminal-minded elements in the entire Kampala metropolitan area and in the entire country.
He, however, commiserated with the families of innocent Ugandans who lost their lives in the senseless incursions which would have been otherwise avoided if everyone played their role responsibly.
The riots have so far claimed 45 lives, which included 39 male adults and 06 women, who fall in the age bracket of 25-40. A total of 42 bodies have been claimed, while 03 remain unclaimed.
“We shall respond and react quickly and effectively to any incident of criminality across levels. All roads feeding into the city shall jointly be manned while outside forces provide security to all highways to ensure that no individual or groups disrupt normal flow of traffic and business.”
All our deployments across the country are on a preemptive posture to disable and dismantle any criminal-minded cell and act decisively to ensure security and normalcy in their area of responsibility, he added.
A reinforcement deployment to protect critical infrastructure and installations has since been effected in various places including but not limited to power stations, fuel reserves and other critical public use infrastructures and services.
The UPDF has jointly pursued the already identified culpable leaders of criminal groups whose status has been determined by security depending on the gravity of their already unearthed plans.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga has confirmed that a total of 836 suspects were arrested, of whom 362 suspects were charged to court, including Hon Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu, 330 were remanded, 32 released on court bail, while 474 pending court today and Hon. Eng. Patrick Oboi Amuriat (01) had been released on police bond.
In due course, UPDF and its auxiliary forces shall also support the police to strictly enforce the curfew and the public has been warned not to be on roads after 2100hrs (09:00 pm) unless when authorized to.
The Deputy Spokesperson of the defence forces has also called upon Ugandans to corporate with security to isolate criminally minded people to keep the country safe and secure during and after elections.
Discussion about this post