Janet Museveni: Is serving Uganda with passion and dedication is a crime?

Slain Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga's body lies in state at Parliament. Abiriga was killed alongside his brother and bodyguard Buga Saidi Butele in cold blood on Friday evening.Below is what some MPs said about him;

PM Ruhakana Rugunda: MP Ibrahim Abiriga's murder (and his brother) was an act of cowardice. His killers will be hunted down like President Museveni said. We all need to vigilant and hunt down these criminals and murderers .
Only two days ago, Hon. Abiriga came to my office to pursue the development projects of the people in his Arua Municipality. We had agreed to meet again but unfortunately, he was killed. He was a man of the people.

Leader of Opposition, Winnie Kiiza: The attendance of MPs today, a Sunday is a clear indication of who Hon Abiriga was. He was hard to annoy. Even when you talked bad about him, he would make a joke out of it. It's so sad that we've lost him, sad that he's gone in a brutal manner. I wonder why he was killed. Abiriga would speak what he believed in. My prayer is that government takes charge of security in our country.

MP Baryayanga: Government must produce reports of murdered Ugandans, whether famous or otherwise. Ugandans are demanding for answers. No one is safe in this country. Kidnaps, murders, rapes have become routine. The security of every Ugandan must be guaranteed.

Kasilo County MP, Eljiah Okupa (FDC) : At first, we thought Hon. Abiriga's death was fake news on social media. I decided to wear a yellow (NRM party's official colour) tie today to honour my brother. Abiriga was not shy about what he believed in.He was true to his word.This business of lying and pretending, like most politicians do, was not his character. Even when he was captured on video urinating,he confessed and explained why. Even when he was taken to court, he was not shy about it. That's how honest he was.

First Lady Janet Janet Museveni : ...What trend is this! That serving one's country with passion and dedication is a crime! What's this message trying to tell Ugandans! That serving your country with love is a crime Hon Abiriga served the country well, from Arua to Kampala. Abiriga's actions, speeches always portrayed love and laughter, even with children. Indeed Ugandans loved him. I'm in shock and mourn him.

I can't stop hoping that his death becomes the mirror that we now hold ourselves close to our hearts and whether our daily work and speech in anyway could have brought such merciless murders in our country. While Hon Abiriga spread love, there are those of us who are spreading hatred..... While blaming government is okay, we must remember that we all have a responsibility of leading this country into the right direction.

Earlier, the Deputy Prime minister, Hajj Moses Ali appealed to eye witnesses of MP Abiriga’s assassination and anyone with information about the suspects to report to police.

While representing government at funeral prayers of the bodies of the MP and his brother Buga Saidi Butele at Gaddafi Mosque on Kampala Hill in Old Kampala, Hajj Moses Ali said: "We need the support of the citizens in order to be able to provide this country security. This is because you (citizens) are everywhere. You being part of the government, you should be able to help to trace these people."

"These two were extra judicially killed. I appeal to those who were around when this crime was committed to come forward and help government or police. MP Abiriga's death was one of the most brutal crimes. Those who killed them are not free, that's why they are hiding."
He assured citizens of security saying government had not failed at its duty to protect them.

“It's not true that government has failed to provide security to its citizens. Why were these two people killed! We must arrest those who killed them to come and explain. I don't think we have religious problems here in Uganda to amount to killing fellow citizens,” he said.