The government has announced security reinforcements in the greater Masaka sub-region in a move aimed at curtailing the ongoing killings. State minister for internal affairs Gen David Muhoozi says personnel and equipment have been deployed towards the cause. But to the leader of opposition in parliament Mathias Mpuuga, the government is yet to do enough to prevail over the security Crisis.
Following another killing of Vincent Lusine in Kyazanga last night bringing the number of the dead to 26, state minister for internal affairs Gen David Muhoozi rushed to the area to understand the extent of the problem. The minister held a meeting with the area security heads in the Lwengo district. From here, he announced that the government had scaled up manpower and equipment in the region to counter the machete-wielding assailants
“We have brought in more police officers, that’s why Mr. Nuwagira is there. We have also brought in more logistics to support the operations and means of Mobility and response. We also brought in more technical means,” Muhoozi said.
But to the leader of opposition Mathias Mpuuga, the government’s intervention is lukewarm and has come too late at the expense of the local population.
The commitment to facilitate intelligence and police is late and in fact, my indictment of him and his friends is the fact that it has taken them more than a month to see sense and find it sensible, reasonable and assuring for them to come here and speak to the people and speak to the leaders and be able to reign in on their erratic security officers that making statements that are unsettling communities.”
Mpuuga has advised government and security heads in the area on what needs to be done, as part of the policy alternative from the Shadow Cabinet.
“I would really make a complete departure and invest in a more durable community security than regime security, it is the reason why we are having these fissures emerging because we have a huge security budget. The question is have we invested in training the security personnel.”
Despite undertones from the locals who want curfew lifted to allow smooth community policing, Gen. Muhoozi says other alternatives in regard to community policing and neighbourhood watch have been agreed upon as part of the bigger plan to end the crisis
“We are not abdicating the responsibility of the government so that it’s now the people. Smaller teams need to be organized so they do not breach the covid-19 SOPs”
