Government warns Opposition on militia

Kampala. Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda yesterday warned the Opposition against forming militia groups to disrupt peace during the forthcoming elections.

Flanked by Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, Dr Rugunda said government was following up reports that “a small group of the radical Opposition are talking and planning violent actions during and after the election.”
The Prime Minister said the overall objective of the group was “to disrupt social and economic activities as well as to paralyse governance.”

To illustrate his point, he cited what he called the persistent talk of “defiance” mainly at campaign rallies by some candidates. Forum for Democratic Change candidate Kizza Besigye has consistently stated since the launch of his campaigns that the coming elections will not be won by compliance but also by defiance.

As part of his strategy to protect his vote which he says has been stolen in the past, Dr Besigye launched a vote-protection coalition whose structures run right from the village dubbed ‘Power 10.’ However, this and others, according to Dr Rugunda, are aimed at causing violence in 2016.

Militia groups warned
“Government has established that some of these groups, under the guise of training agents to protect their votes, are raising semi-militia groups under different code names such as Power-10 (P10), Pentagon, Youth Brigade and Ki-face, among others.”

“These groups, we have learnt, are being prepared to incite provocation and violent confrontations, starting on polling day until the swearing in ceremony in case they lose the elections,” he said.

He also warned candidates and their agents against promoting sectarianism. “There is an emerging trend of fanning sectarianism through use of the media and other platforms. This is not only dangerous but also criminal.”
Dr Rugunda, who said election campaigns were not a licence to break the law, instead appealed to candidates to focus on issues that build Uganda and warned that government will not hesitate to deal with such persons whose intention is to divide the country.

“If those involved in trying to divide Ugandans along the above mentioned sectarian lines don’t desist, government will invoke the necessary legal machinery to investigate and prosecute them in the courts of law.”

kayihura defends crime preventers

Key figures in the Opposition have, however, consistently pointed an accusing finger at the ruling NRM for using the security apparatus, including crime preventers, to harass and intimidate their supporters and engage in pre-electoral fraud.

Yesterday, Gen Kayihura said crime preventers were doing a great job across the country ahead of elections.
“It is ridiculous that police would be planning havoc. Why would we? The fact of the matter is that we have a plan to support the Electoral Commission like we have been doing since the process started,” he said.

[email protected]