Kyaligonza must face the law - Museveni

Kampala. President Museveni yesterday broke his silence about the recent incident involving the Ugandan Ambassador to Burundi, Maj Gen (Rtd) Matayo Kyaligonza, saying he must face the law for slapping a policewoman on duty.
The President talked about Mr Kyaligonza’s incident as he explained the factors that force people to flee their countries during a high-level meeting of ministers-in-charge of refugees in the Great Lakes region at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo.
“Recently, we had a retired General slapping a police woman and everyone shouted. Now, that General is facing the law because you are not allowed to slap and bark at people. If you are angry and aggressive, you can ask for permission and we deploy you to Somalia where aggressive services are needed,” the President said.
The president told the meeting that extrajudicial acts are among the causes of refugee situations among the African countries. Other causes, the President added, are; situations of war in countries of origin; some environmental issues that affect mostly the pastoralists; and weak states where people flee in fear of their own governments.
The president, however, did not comment about last week’s parliamentary resolution that Gen Kyaligonza be recalled from diplomatic work in Burundi and get demoted in the army ranks.
Gen Kyaligonza against whom an offence of assault has been reported without reaching a legal end, two weeks ago appeared to be slapping Sgt Esther Namaganda, a traffic police woman, who had stopped his vehicle in Seeta. He is yet to appear at police to record a statement despite being officially summoned.
Giving context on the refugee crisis, the president gave examples of weak states in the region as Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), whose 300,000 nationals are refugees in Uganda, and Somalia that forced thousands into Kenya and other countries.
Mr Museveni, who described as “theatre acting” the current peacekeeping missions in Somalia under the African Mission for Somalia (Amisom) and the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC, called upon conflict resolution experts to analyse the issue of weak states and advise ministers on the solutions.