Crime preventers are political militia to disrupt polls - Mbabazi

GULU- Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi has said crime preventers are a political militia created by government to disrupt elections.

Addressing a press conference at Larem Guest House in Gulu yesterday, Mr Mbabazi said crime preventers are not part of the Uganda police force as prescribed by law, adding that plans to arm them makes them a political militia meant to create an atmosphere conducive for violence.

“Why would one with a fully established police force, with the army and all the pillars of state in place create a militia; give them firearms; to do what? Why would civilians be armed with guns?” Mr Mbabazi asked.

“I think Gen [Kale] Kayihura obviously needs to answer that and whoever gives him orders better check it out because someone will be answerable,” he added.

This was in reference to media reports that the Inspector General of Police, while addressing a passing out parade for crime preventers in Kapchorwa last month, allegedly promised to arm the otherwise stick-wielding outfit. The police have since denied that the police chief made the remarks at the function.

Crime preventers have been a contentious issue since their formation a couple of years ago with the opposition seeing the outfit with suspicion.

Human rights activists have called for their disbandment ahead of elections while the opposition have severally accused them of tampering with the national voters’ register and profiling opposition supporters.

While appearing before Parliament last year, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said crime preventers are simply volunteers meant to guard and prevent crime and should not be involved in partisan politics.

“They are not supposed to be playing partisan roles. If there are any errors committed, we shall follow them up and ensure that they are stopped,” he said.

Responding to a similar accusation from Facebook page called Team JPAM, the police, through its Facebook page, explained that the concept or community policing (crime preventers) has always been there and contemplated for implementation as way back as 1990.

“It is a metamorphose of the Nyumba Kumi. Those who are old enough will remember that Nyumba Kumi works on the premise that each community must be self-reliant on security matters.

The IGP, Gen Kale Kayihura, refined the Nyumba Kumi concept to what we are seeing as community policing, the difference is that as society develops so does crime, while in the late 1980s and 90s we had magendo [smuggling], waragi trade, and occasional highway robbers, today we have various forms of serious crime that may require physical confrontation with the perpetrators,” the post read in part.

Mr Mbabazi, however, holds that the current crime preventers are different from the original neighbourhood policing that the National Resistance movement created 30 years ago when it took power.

“It [neighbourhood policing] was used for community policing to prevent crime because they had not fully restored the pillars of state,” he said, adding that its not surprising that the NRM secretary general, Ms Kasule Lumbumba warned that those who will protest the result of the vote will be shot dead.

“You can see the connection of what Ms Lumumba said on shooting Ugandans dead and Gen Kayihura on arming the crime preventers, this is a dangerous and serious plan. These similar sentiments caused bloodshed in Rwanda and now Burundi and we surely don’t want to see it here in Uganda,” Mr Mbabazi said.

Uganda goes to the polls on February 18 and as the day approaches, there is anxiety and uncertainty about what will happen when the results are announced.

Mr Mbabazi said he has nothing against NRM but the individuals who deviated from the original principle of the party. “I am not fighting NRM, I still subscribe to the NRM’s principles of our struggle, which constitutes NRM. My problems are with the current leadership of the party who has deviated from the correct line,” Mr Mbabazi said.

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