Crime preventers celebrate Supreme Court ruling

Crime preventers celebrate President Museveni’s court victory in the petition against his re-election on Thursday. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KATO.

Kampala.

Traffic flow on Jinja Road was paralysed on Friday as crime preventers held a procession celebrating the dismissal of former presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi’s election petition.
All the nine judges who heard the petition unanimously dismissed it after the petitioner (Mr Mbabazi) failed to provide satisfying evidence that the February 18 presidential election was marred by malpractice.

Donning NRM T-shirts, the crime preventers started their procession at Mukono District headquarters on boda bodas, bikes and Subaru cars.

At Bweyogerere Trading Centre, they took over the role of traffic officers as they ordered vehicles to give way and almost slapped a truck driver who had refused to yield.

They briefly stopped at Namboole stadium parking lot, where Mr Blaze Kamugisha, their national coordinator, contacted the district police commander for Kira Road Police Station, who came with a patrol pick up truck that led them up to Kampala city.

Throughout the procession, the crime preventers flashed NRM thumbs-up sign in addition to singing songs praising Mr Museveni as intelligent, energetic and strong.

They swore to protect his power at whatever cost in songs like Taja genda, taja genda literary meaning “President Museveni is going nowhere”, adding that bwaba wa kugenda emundu evaayo, which can be translated as “guns will come out if Mr Museveni is to go.”

“We are happy that the Supreme Court realised that President Museveni won the election fairly. We were accused of participating in election malpractice but all was cleared by the court. Besides, the Chief Justice explained our role as crime preventers. This means our activities have been legaly recognised,” Mr Kamugisha said.

The Opposition has often described crime preventers as militia group for the ruling party, although Gen Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police, insists they are security watchdogs at village levels.

On January 26, a local newspaper quoted Gen Kayihura vowing to switch crime preventers from carrying sticks to holding guns so that they protect president Museveni’s power if at all he had lost the February 18 presidential election.
Nevertheless, Gen Kayihura denied the allegations, claiming he had been quoted out of context.