Museveni: Urban terrorism, crime is much easier to defeat

By Mubiru Ivan

President Yoweri Museveni has affirmed that it’s very easy to defeat urban terrorism and crime as long as vigilance, police quick response and technology are in place.

In his Thursday Facebook statement concerning security, Museveni said his government managed to defeat rural based terrorism which was much more serious so it will be much easier to deal with urban terrorism.

“It is just a question of three elements: vigilance of the people, quick response of the Police and technology. With technology, things will be much simpler,” he said.

Adding, “As you may have been reading in some of the papers, the People and the Security forces have launched a limited counter-offensive against the criminals that have been robbing and terrorizing some parts of the country. I call this counter- offensive limited because we are still using the traditional police methods of relying on human intelligence (eye- witnesses, finger prints etc). We are in the process of developing the electronic means and other means of fighting crime that I outlined in my speech to Parliament on the June 20, 2018,”

Museveni also pointed out some of the success achieved through using old means of vigilance by population, fast response by police and other security agencies.

He wrote;

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI’S STATEMENT ON SECURITY AS FESTIVE SEASON APPROACHES

Fellow countrymen, especially Bazukkulu

Greetings. I wish all of you Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2019.

As you may have been reading in some of the papers, the People and the Security forces have launched a limited counter-offensive against the criminals that have been robbing and terrorizing some parts of the country.

I call this counter- offensive limited because we are still using the traditional police methods of relying on human intelligence (eye- witnesses, finger prints etc). We are in the process of developing the electronic means and other means of fighting crime that I outlined in my speech to Parliament on the June 20th 2018.

Nevertheless, even with the old means of vigilance by the population, fast response by the police and other security agencies, the following have been achieved:

1. On the 11th of December, at Bukomero, one of our fighting areas, 52 miles from Kampala on Hoima Road, One Mayanja Asuman got robbed of Shs33 million by four robbers, using one gun. Mayanja is an agent of Bidco and he was selling Bidco products and collecting payments for them.

The thieves opened fire, injured a bystander who did not die, and grabbed the money from Mayanja. It seems the robber who was firing the gun injured himself by accident. The robbers now tried to escape on two motorcycles going towards Kampala.

After a little distance, they realized that the accidentally injured robber was delaying them in their escape and shot him dead themselves, removed all items from him to make his identification difficult. However, the Police was now in hot pursuit. Through phones, the trading centres ahead were alerted. They mounted road blocks which the remaining 3 robbers could not bypass.

At one of the road blocks, at Matte, mile 40 or thereabout from Kampala, one of the robbers, Ivan Lukwago, who used to work at Nabukeera Bus Park, Allen Road Stage, was shot dead. He was the chairperson of the stage and belonged to the 2010 Boda Boda group.

The robbers were now forced to abandon the two boda bodas and we, therefore, now know their owners and we have a lot of information about the robbers. The IGP must find out why the OC station Kiryokya did not intercept these criminals.

The two remaining criminals escaped with the gun and the money. However, this is a great break through because the Police has now confirmed what sort of people are involved.

2. On the 16th of December, 2018, ten robbers invaded Biyinzika International Poultry Farm in Kigumba, Goma Sub-county, Mukono. This was at 0204hrs (four minutes past two am – shaha munaana gw’ekiro).

The private Security guards on duty were alerted by the thieves switching off the electricity and, it seems, got ready. When the gang of thieves got in sight, they opened fire. The thieves also fired back. The security guards killed three of the thieves and the rest fled with the gun they were firing but dropped 100 chicken they had stolen. This is, again, a break through because the dead thieves, once identified, will lead us to their associates.

3. On the the 14th of December, 2018 at 8.45pm, at Balubandi in Iganga town Council, Dr. Gwaluka Ibrahim, was shot by criminals who were inside his compound. My question is: “Were there no people at home? Why did they not see these People before?” There are a number of clues that the Police have and some arrests have been made.
4. The killers of Masaka on New Year’s Day. Their leader Kiddawalime was killed by a combination of people’s vigilance and quick police response. Galiwango was also arrested. Therefore, that group has been wiped out. Congratulations to the Police and the People.
5. The group that attacked Mrs. Zubairi Bakari on the 23rd of October 2018, at Ssenge, Wakiso. The Police shot dead Byamukama who, while dying , revealed the master -mind of the criminality. The alleged master-minders of the criminality, Kusemererwa and Kenneth Ssentongo, have been arrested and the network has been exposed.
6. In Alebtong, Lango, a soldier who is suspected to have killed his relative has been arrested. Congratulations to my daughter Josephine Omara, the RDC there, who organised the Wanainchi to expose the criminal.
7. Those suspects who killed Rwego on the 24th October 2018, were arrested because of the dog bites they sustained while trying to get into the house. People who saw the dog bites reported to the Police.

These examples show what can be done with just vigilance and fast Government action (Police and Administration). This is all before the activation of our planned electronic systems. This is to repeat what I said in my earlier speeches. We defeated rural based terrorism which was much more serious. This urban terrorism and crime is much easier to defeat. It is just a question of three elements: vigilance of the people, quick response of the Police and technology. With technology, things will be much simpler.

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
President of Uganda.