Museveni breaks silence on Rukutana’s arrest, insists on minister’s prosecution for attempted murder

President Yoweri Museveni says junior labor minister Mwesigwa Rukutana will be prosecuted for shooting at supporters of his opponent Naomi Kabasharira in Ntungamo’s Rushenyi County NRM primary election.

Rukutana and three of his guards spent a second night in police cells following their arrest in Ntungamo on September 05.

Police say the four will face charges of inciting violence, attempted murder by shooting and malicious damage.

Minister Rukutana, guards finally arrested for shooting rival Kabasharira’s supporters in Ntungamo

Speaking for the first time since the incident happened, Museveni assured NRM supporters people like Rukutana will be prosecuted.

But he, once again, took a swipe at “the shallow crooks” who “still think they can bribe, can intimidate, can assault or can, even, alter results of the obvious that was witnessed by hundreds.”

“This is incredible shallowness. The cheating in the NRM Primaries is over. Those who beat People, like in Bukono, are all in jail or on the run,” he said.

“Minister Rukutana is in jail and will be prosecuted. They will be fully accountable with robust charges: assault, attempted murder, murder etc.”

The NRM chairman also hailed the lining up method. He compared this mode of voting with that of secret ballot.

“When we came from the bush, we used the method of lining up behind candidates of our choice and it was very transparent. However, with the 1995 Constitution, it was decided to go to secret ballot even when we were still using the Electoral College system. Then the problems of bribery started,” he wrote.

“This provoked the pressure to go for universal suffrage but with the secret ballot. Still, the problems of cheating persisted because whatever precautions we took, they depended on human vigilance, which was not always assured.

That is why, recently, at the Chobe CEC Conference, we decided to go for lining up. You have seen how it has succeeded. It is transparent for everybody to see during daylight.”