Museveni lauds UPDF, police for ‘protecting suspected sinners at Nyege Nyege’

President Museveni on Wednesday lauded UPDF, police and the intelligence services for “successfully protecting the suspected sinners (Abasiisi) of Nyege Nyege in Jinja against the schemes of the pigs (terrorists) until their function was over without a single incident.”

This, according to the president, shows Ugandans the strength of the Uganda security system to be able to guard such a long pre-announced massive public function, the threats of the terrorists notwithstanding.
 
“It is true that the pigs of ADF in Congo had sent a few infiltrators to try to disrupt the function of the suspected sinners. Indeed, I hear that the panicking Americans and British sent out what they call advisories to their citizens not to come to Uganda. These are mistake makers. If the situation was so bad, it would be us to advise people not to come to Uganda, not the British and the Americans. We know what we are doing, always,” Mr Museveni said in a statement posted on his X handle, hours after returning from Abu Dhabi, where he had gone to meet  the President of the United Arab Emirate (UAE), Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

 Mr Museveni who has ruled Uganda since 1986 when he shot his way to State House through a guerrilla war described the UK and US terror alerts and advisories as another form of interference in Uganda’s internal affairs “by these elements.” 

According to him, part of the terrorism in Africa is either created or conserved by some of the actors that try to be global policemen. 
“The chaos in Libya and the surrounding countries of the Sahel (Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, etc.) was caused by some of these actors. The terrorism conservation project in Eastern Congo, for the past 20 years, is by the UN, which is controlled by some of these actors through the undemocratic structures of that body, such as the Security Council. It is amazing how the UN can supervise and co-exist with killers of Congolese and Ugandans in Eastern Congo for the last 20 years, and they are not bothered at all,” he added.

He contends that the UN has created free space for all sorts of “empty-headed pigs to gather, train, steal resources of Congo, kill Congolese and, once in a while, kill Ugandans, as well as undermining the economic future of the people of the Great Lakes.” 

Arrests 

Police said Tuesday that at least 45 suspects were arrested during this year’s controversial Nyege Nyege festival kicked off on November 9 and ended on November 12 at the Source of the Nile, Nile Park, Jinja Golf Ground and Jinja Agricultural Showground
The annual event that has over time been demonised by religious fundamentalists and moralists comprises drinking sessions, music and dance, games, and tours around the eastern Uganda Jinja City, among others.

 “A total of 45 suspects were arrested, 10 were issued police bond and there are arrangements to have the 35 arraigned to court. A total of 20 cases of theft of mobile phones were registered, three cases of impersonation of security and organisers, five minor cases of fire outbreaks, three cases of being in possession of marijuana, one case of stealing a motor vehicle, and 12 cases of being in possession of forged tickets,” the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga said.

Deployment
More than 300 Uganda People’s Defense Forces soldiers and the police were part of the event to ensure safety of revellers and their property.
Mr Enanga revealed that the event was a success despite the United Kingdom and United States of America missions in Kampala cautioning their citizens against attending public gatherings and going to the country’s national parks amid fresh terror alerts.

“We thank the visitors who travelled from across the world and the region for this festival and to the organisers, we thank them for the efforts in preparing for this event, our security measures were well felt by the suspected hostile elements who wanted to disrupt it and even some countries that were worried,” Mr Enanga said.