KAMPALA – President Museveni has okayed the proposal by Members of Parliament to be given military guards as a part of efforts of stem the rising cases of assassinations of high profile personalities.
Mr Museveni has directed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen David Muhoozi, to work with Parliament and the Ministry of Finance to ensure his directive is implemented.
He made the directive while meeting MPs during the security meeting on Wednesday.
The President was moved to make the directive after MPs, who are largely from the ruling party after opposition members chose to boycott the meeting, told him that following the assassination of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga, they are not feeling safe and that the use of police escorts is not enough.
The interactive security meeting between the President and the MPs was closed to journalists and the rest of the public but sources that attended and followed the meeting proceedings intimated to this website that the ruling party MPs said they are being targeted by the rest of the public for supporting the Constitution Amendment Bill that was passed to remove presidential age limits.
Aringa South MP Alioni Yorke Odria is said to have told the President during the meeting that even the MPs’ security should be beefed up at their homes and not only during transport.
The legislators are said to have told the President that because the assassins are very highly trained, the government should look into the possibility of giving them escort cars to boost their security.
However, sources said the President did not comment on whether the escort cars would be provided.
When contacted, NRM Caucus Secretary General Joseph Kasozi confirmed the President’s directive but said it will depend on the availability of funds
“The President said that MPs who feel that they are not comfortable with Police will have police guards withdrawn and they get well-trained UPDF soldiers,” Mr Kasozi said.
The meeting was also attended by the CDF, Gen Muhoozi, the Inspector General of Police(IGP) Martins Okoth-Ochola and the Director of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department(CIID), Grace Akullo.
During the meeting, Mr Museveni reiterated his plan to procure CCTV cameras to defeat that killings and revealed that a Chinese company has been hired to supply the cameras.
Mr Museveni also proposed amending relevant laws that will compel landlords to fix CCTV cameras on their houses.
