Police chief Ochola & EC boss Byabakama rush to take action after Museveni revealed they have disappointed him

Uganda Police Force (UPF) chief IGP Martins Okoth Ochola and Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama are attempting to take action after their boss Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni publicly said he was unhappy with them.

In his address during National thanksgiving prayers at State House Entebbe on December 11, Museveni expressed his disappointment in IGP Ochola and Justice Byabakama for their failure to bring to book presidential candidates Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA) of main opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine of National Unity Platform (NUP) who had flouted Covid19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and election guidelines.

“If I stand up to speak it means my supporters are infecting one another. This is criminal. I don’t know what the Electoral Commission of Mr. Byabakama is doing to allow this nonsense to happen. I am not happy with Byabakama and police,” Museveni said.

“People have died unnecessarily because of recklessness yet from the beginning we told you to keep social distance. It is in the Bible, in Luke 17:12 and here it was leprosy which was not as infectious as Covid19. You can imagine leprosy was not as infectious as this disease which goes through the air. You can imagine 2,000 years ago people knew you can avoid sickness through social distance. Here we brought it and it became contagious. We agreed and opened up but here we are. You reap what you sow.  If you sow dishonesty, you will reap multiple deaths.”

Hours later, police chief Ochola and his UPDF counterpart Gen David Muhoozi gave a joint security update, warning politicians against flouting Covid19 guidelines.

“Lawlessness and hooliganism under the guise of political activity as the country has witnessed on a number of occasions shall not be accepted and shall be dealt with firmly and decisively,” Ochola said.

“Infractions perpetrated through social media and other abuses orchestrated through irresponsible traditional media are unacceptable in a free and democratic society and will also be dealt with according to the laws of the country.”

For Byabakama, the EC he chairs is expected to meet Amuriat and Bobi Wine on December 14.

“You have  continued to ignore and/or neglected observing the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) by holding mass rallies in contravention of the established Standard Operation Procedures intended to control the spread of the Corona Virus, thereby risking the lives of the people,” Byabakama wrote to Amuriat.