KOLOLO CEREMONIAL GROUNDS: President Yoweri Museveni has assured the nation that nobody can defeat the NRM government by force because the army has a lot of capacity to deal with any kind of aggression.
‘I can tell you if you have ears to hear that nobody can defeat NRM by force. If you bring force then you are on the wrong arena we have a lot of capacity to deal with force,” he vowed.
The President made the remarks today during the 32nd Heroes Day Anniversary celebrations at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
The scientific ceremony was held under the theme ‘Remembering those great men and women who put the nation first in pursuing freedom for our mother land Uganda’
The 9th of June is a day to particularly remember the freedom fighters who were butchered by Bazillio Okello in Kikandwa village Nakaseke district and included among others Luttamaguzi, Sentongo as well as all those who contributed to the liberation of the country before independence, during independence and after independence.
The President who first paid tribute and laid wreaths at the graves of the Heroes at the Heroes Corner in Kololo after a three gun salute
pointed out that one of the main objectives in the peoples protracted struggle was to stop extra-judicial killings. He said NRM is very strict on that and even if mistakes occur, they are followed up.
“During the recent election campaigns there were mistakes. The opposition made mistakes by being violent, intimidating people like attacking those wearing yellow clothes and according to the chairman veterans Hajji Seddunga some people didn’t vote,” he noted.
The President observed that those who encourage the opposition to take that line are misleaders acting unconstitutionally because democracy is today rife in Uganda where people can vote as opposed to the use of violence.
President Museveni however acknowledged that there were mistakes made on the government side which he attributed overreaction by security agencies partly because of poor leadership. He said the law and the standing orders are very clear on how to handle different types of trouble causers.
He called on all honest Ugandans to appreciate that NRM cannot condone that action and when such a scenario occurs all cases are followed up.
He cited the cases of 54 people who lost their lives in November 2020 during the election campaigns and said commanders of SFC and those of police were summoned to a meeting to review their actions and mistakes and also follow up the families of the affected persons. He added that some of those arrested were released and even supported.
‘I want to assure Ugandans that there is no way we can tolerate and condone impunity of wrong-doing. Anybody who says to the contrary is wrong,” he stressed.
The President said the opposition had also tried to use discrediting tactics against government by causing insecurity citing the recent attempt on General Katumba Wamala life whose daughter and driver were killed in the attack.
He said such provocation will lead to counteraction that will make the plotters to lose miserably.
The President also pointed out that he was ready to meet with the opposition and has already met some them though others are not willing to discuss pertinent issues where the government can advise them and for them also to advise the government.
On the economy, President Museveni urged all Ugandans to get involved in modern commercial agriculture and encouraged political, religious and cultural leaders to preach the gospel of wealth creation at family level as that is the epicenter of poverty.
On the land especially evictions as raised by Hajji seddunga, the President pledged to resolve the issue of land evictions.
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