KAMPALA – Opposition lynchpin Dr Kizza Besigye has blamed the Masaka shooting incident involving an LDU officer on President Museveni whom he accused of continuing to arm ill-trained militia to kill Ugandans.
Muyaga Robert, an LDU soldier deployed in Masaka, but hailing from Lwengo District, shot and killed Winfred Asasira and Godfrey Musasizi at point blank range in Masaka town today afternoon.
It’s said that Asasira had been a Muyaga’s girlfriend before she befriended Musasizi, who’s an LC1 Chairman of Lutovu village in Kigenyi Parish, Lwengo District.
“These three people have been killed by a reckless policy of arming ill-trained, poorly controlled LDUs, that have proved to be a menace all over the country,” Dr Besigye said in a statement posted on his social media platforms.
The four-time presidential candidate wondered why the President continues to arm militia groups when the country is not having any war.
“Uganda isn’t at war. Why would we have thousands of such LDUs everywhere armed with automatic rifles? Recently, Mr Museveni, who’s the maker of these policies, wasn’t even sure whether LDUs were under Police or UPDF,” he said.
“Earlier, we’d a similarly marauding militia known as CRIME PREVENTERS, under the Uganda Police Force. When the long-serving Police Chief, Gen Kaiyihura, under whom the militia was formed fell out with Mr Museveni, that force was also transferred to be under UPDF, though largely disbanded. These militia are poorly documented, poorly paid and poorly controlled,” he added.
According to Dr Besigye, the purpose of these militia isn’t, primarily, to improve security and ensure law and order. Their primary role is regime protection, through attacking and brutalising political opposition groups or helping in rigging elections.
“Huge amounts of money are spent in maintaining these groups. That’s partly why Uganda is choking with debts and essential services are in a very sorry state,” he said.
Dr Besigye said more than half of the recently borrowed €600 million, supposedly to help deal with COVID19 pandemic has been diverted to Defence and State House!
“Yet, frontline healthcare workers aren’t getting their allowances; they still lack Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and essential equipment & supplies; the health infrastructure is shambolic etc.
It’s now clear that COVID19 is quickly becoming an Industry for the NRM “Mafia” to loot public resources and to entrench their regime further,” he said.
“Ugandans must quickly take steps to end militarisation of our governance. We must struggle to achieve a transition to democratic and accountable government. That remains the purpose of the “People’s Government.”