Museveni to terrorists: Surrender or be killed

President Museveni has said terrorists responsible for the recent bomb attacks in Uganda should surrender themselves to security operatives and be tried in the courts of law or wait to be hunted down and killed.

During his televised address on Saturday, Mr Museveni revealed that security operatives have so far arrested 106 suspected terrorists, but some are still on the run.

“A total of 106 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent bomb attacks in Kampala and other areas. We are still hunting for others such as Obaida Bin Bukenya. My advice to all of them is to surrender and save themselves, if not, they will all die,” he said.

The president noted that intelligence briefs indicate that people who are involved in terrorist attacks in Uganda are agents of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group currently in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Having been defeated in the rural areas, the ADF has now resorted to urban terrorism. In 2012, they started assassinating individuals including Sheikhs, Joan Kagezi, Maj Kiggundu, and others. An attempt to assassinate Gen Katumba exposed them, we know them and we are coming for them,” he said.

Mr Museveni noted that both crime and terrorism are motivated by parasitism – people who want power and wealth without democracy or working with their hands. On the killing of Sheikh Muhammad Kirevu, who was gunned down on Thursday, the president said investigations indicated that he had a hand in the recent attacks and attempted assassination of Gen Katumba.

“I ask the public to be patient with the investigations into the twin bombings in Kampala. Wait for the court. You will hear the truth. I am a reader of intelligence briefs. Wait for the court.”

Mr Museveni encouraged Ugandans to remain calm and vigilant as the government is putting more measures to curb crimes and bomb attacks in urban areas.

“I want to assure Ugandans that they shouldn't be frightened. We have gadgets that can sniff out explosives but they are being used on individual buildings. I am told that they can be mass applied. They can be installed on cameras to sniff out those carrying bombs. But the important thing is to uproot anybody who has the idea of terrorism,” he said.

 “We are talking to the DR Congo government. We shall get the ADF. Presidents from all-over Africa have contacted me and we are going to solve this problem,” Mr Museveni added.