Prince Nakibinge tasks government on security 

Prince Kassim Nakibinge has called on the government to reassure citizens on security, following the recent attack in Kasese by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) where 43 people lost their lives and the increased spate of gun violence in different parts of the country.

While officiating at the ceremony to mark 128 years of Amadda ga Mbogo (the return of Nuhu Mbogo from Tanzania) at Kibuli on Sunday, Prince Nakibinge said that whereas government has tried to tighten security in many parts of the country, many Ugandans are still insecure, following cases of unidentified armed killers and thugs who have caused loss of many lives and continue to go scot free.  

"I want to ask government that the way they have provided security for this event is the same way it should be extended to all parts of the country," Prince Nakibinge said.

He added: "Armed robbery has made a U-turn in our country and mobile money operators are no longer safe. Recently, I saw a family that was brutally butchered in Masaka. I request government to provide a lasting solution to the spate of machete killings in Masaka which have become seasonal in nature in the last seven years." 

Equally, he condemned the increasing cases of abduction and torture in the various parts of the country despite the eased political tension since the 2021 general election.

"We have on several occasions asked all political players to end the political rivalry because the election season is now over, but we have continued to receive cases of arrests, abduction and torture along political lines- this has made life hard for some people yet this is their only country where they are entitled to all rights and freedoms," he said. 

The Kampala woman MP, Ms Shamim Malende, while speaking at the same event said security agencies have not done enough to ensure that Ugandans are safe and their property.

"It is a constitutional mandate of our security agencies to ensure security of all citizens, however, it is now becoming a norm that the armed forces are being used to serve political interest of the government through abduction and arbitrary arrests. I request the government to consider the words of Prince Nakibinge to bring these illegalities to an end," she said.

The Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Ms Minsa Kabanda said: "The government is much concerned about the isolated cases of killings, abductions and torture where many perpetrators have been brought to book and many will soon be apprehended so that they a put to face the law."

This month, at least 50 people have been brutally killed in separation attack including the 43 people who perished in the Kasese school bloody attack. Another tragic incident happened last Friday night where five family members were killed by unknown assailants in Masaka.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Galabuzi commended Muslims for turning up in big numbers to remember the contribution of Sheikh Nuhu Mbogo to the spread Islam in the country.

"Sheikh Nuhu Mbogo left his family and country to go learn Islam in Tanzania. It is therefore our responsibility to carry forward his legacy as a commitment to ensure the growth and development of Islam in our communities," he said.

About Sheikh Nuhu Mbogo
Sheikh Nuhu Mbogo, a Buganda prince, was exiled to Zanzibar (Tanzania) by the British in 1893. He returned after two years and reclaimed his seat as the titular head of the Muslim community in Buganda and Uganda before he started spreading Islam across the country.