The former Senior Presidential Press Secretary Joseph Tamale Mirundi has advised ministers and other Very Important People (VIPs) to respect and share with their security detail members. This, according to Mirundi will help them safeguard their lives.
In an online media interview yesterday, the veteran journalist said most VIPs don’t respect their bodyguards to the extent that they do not give them food and also treat them like their dogs.
To say this, Mirundi was commenting on the murder of the Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Col (rtd) Charles Patrick Okello Engola that took place on 2nd May 2023 at his residence in Kyanja-Kampala.
He said Private Wilson Sabiiti who shot the minister could have been with a burning issue but his boss decided to ignore him.
“One thing I realized is that these senior army officers disrespect junior officers and this Minister was falling in the same category. Secondly, these ministers steal a lot of money but don’t share. Imagine someone has seen you taking bags of money at your home, but he is hungry, his family is starving, and his children are at home, what type of greed is that? And you think such a person won’t kill you? Learn how to share with your escort and respect them, if not that, we are going to see many insistences of such!” he said.
He noted that bodyguards are human beings and some of them are more intelligent than their bosses so the only way to avoid clashes is to also respect them back, share with them and also inquire how their families are faring and if possible, help them to reduce stress on them.
“Me I share my mobile money codes with my bodyguards, so when there is money, we share. When I don’t have, they know. The wives of these ministers go with these bodyguards in the market and shop for things worth Shs2m, and when they get home they feed them on posho, why? Generations have changed, in the past bodyguards used to be illiterate but currently, they are highly educated people who also have ambitions. They see you stealing money, they go with you on your sites, they know all your deals and then you treat them like dogs? Why can’t they kill?”
“I gave an order in writing at my home, bodyguards don’t; wash my car, carry any of my wives’ bags and they don’t open the car for me. This is because I cannot humiliate an educated person because some of these people are more intelligent than you,” he said.
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