Security agencies says they have intelligence reports about a plan by National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine to start protests hoped to culminate in an uprising to topple President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
In a joint security taskforce press briefing at the police headquarters at Naguru in the capital Kampala on February 01, deputy IGP Maj Gen Paul Lokech warned politicians and individuals against fear mongering.
According to Lokech, security agencies are taking recordings alluding to a planned protests slated for this week seriously.
That the recordings are urging people to stay home and stock enough food for tough days.
“We wish to inform the public that we are aware of individuals and political groups that are promoting panic and fear, using malicious video footages and audios, to purposely intimidate and prevent them from going about their normal businesses or reporting for work the 3rd to the 7th February 2021,” Lokech said.
“The audios and videos talk about people staying in their homes, stocking food and threatening all persons who will defy their alleged stay at home orders. The authors who are allegedly aligned to some opposition groups indicate how the protests will transition into a mass uprising including the use of external forces to attack government.”
Maj Gen Lokech assured Ugandans security agencies are prepared to crush any protests.
“This development by some opposition members of marshaling fear to rally support for street violence and civil uprising, for their selfish political advantage is not new to us. Therefore, for politicians to spread this kind of negative propaganda across the country is trying to provoke people to incite violence,” he noted.
“We want to inform the public that we are taking these threats seriously and would like to assure them, that they should not be intimidated from going about their lawful businesses, because their security and safety is guaranteed.”
WHAT ELSE DID LOKECH SAY?
We further call upon all Ugandans to reject such politics of fear. The over whelming majority of Ugandans made their voices to be heard during the recent general elections. They now want to live in peace and dignity, without the fear of restricting their movement and uncertainty about what will follow. Many have families, others have to go to work, look for school fees, pay taxes etc and they deserve the right to live without fear.
We urge them not to tolerate any acts of impunity and lawlessness in their communities and watch out for any culprits planning to burn tyres, attack other Ugandans going about their normal businesses. We would also like to appeal to whoever is being intimidated or has information that may lead to the arrest of the perpetrators to avail it to the nearest Police Unit, other security agency or local council for immediate action.
As we conclude, we would like to reassure all Ugandans and visitors to Uganda, that we have very robust plans to respond proportionately against all perpetrators of violent crime and lawlessness. All malicious plans by some opposition groups and their propagandists indicated above will definitely back fire, because we cannot allow for anarchy to prevail in our peaceful country.
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