Terrorism is the latest act of insecurity resurrecting in Uganda since the LRA rebels were defeated in 2009.
In early 1990s, we only knew about the LRA and ADF rebel groups committing terrorism acts respectively in Northern and Rwenzori region of Western Uganda.
I often watch in disbelief and astonishment how our media and political actors get to fast politicize an act of TERRORISM instead of supporting investigations so that terror is wiped from the surface of our Nation.
Early this week, I tearingly watched the NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya and NUP spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi while on various TV stations desperately labouring to politicize the recent wave of TERRORISM attacks in Uganda.
Terrorism is a highly sophisticated, coordinated mission and action involving individuals wearing full consent to facilitate execution with intend to cause death, destabilization of our general security and this require several clandestine planning by the apparent perpetrators.
Therefore it’s not just wrong but extremely wanting of any leader to rush to cast political blames just for sake of relevancy, before carefully analyzing circumstances surrounding the events.
Three weeks ago, United Kingdom warned their nationals in Uganda against possible terrorism act, and just within a week, Uganda has since recorded two separate incidents. Well, it’s normal for every country to conduct spy work but who knows who is behind this current bomb blasts in Uganda?
On Saturday 23rd October 2021, we recorded a terrorism incident at Kamomboga Pork Joint in Kawempe Division,Kampala that killed one waitress and Islamic State Terrorism group claimed the responsibility.
The following Monday 25th October 2021, we recorded yet another terrorism incident in a Bushenyi bound Swift Bus where one person was killed.
Our security has since established that the deceased was a wanted terrorism suspect who had eluded arrest from Pader District recently during the funeral of Gen. Lokech. This is where the public needs to be keen and trust security forces. This person was on the wanted list. Now that wanted person dies in a bus bomb blast, what a coincidence! That proves that the investigations of the Pader incident were on the right track.
President Yoweri Museveni recently said the last defeat of the rural terrorism was in 2007 in the Semliki National Park. The present shallow effort is easy to defeat. In his submissions, the NRA battled harden sophisticated Military General outlined simple strategies to defeat the current wave of what he termed as “Shallow Terrorism Effort”.
“Just some vigilance by the people e.g. checks at the hotels, churches, mosques or buses, etc., will immunize these gathering points against these bombs, “President Museveni said.
Indeed, our taxi, bus, hotel, restaurant and bar operators had for long been relaxed and careless security wise where hardly client is checked before entrance.
Possible Origin of the current petrol Bombers
According to security, the person who died in the Ishaka – bound bus yesterday, was a terrorist (mutujju) by the names of Muzafala, but also calling himself Isaac Matovu.
He was part of the Pader group that had been sent by ADF to blow up the mourners during the funeral of late Maj. Gen Lokech’s funeral. One of them, by the names of Katumba Abdu, was arrested in a Pader Hotel with his bomb-making equipment – he has been brought to court.
His collaborator, by the names of Nsubuga Hamid fled from Pader to Kampala, where he was killed by the CMI operatives while resisting arrest.
“The killing of Nsubuga, the arrest of Katumba, plus the killing of Lubwama Hussein others that were involved in the attack of Katumba & the arrest of Walusimbi Kamada, and 5 others that were also involved in the attack of Katumba has enabled Police and CMI, to arrest a large number of suspected operatives of ADF. Arresting or killing these suspected criminals, led to the hunt for Muzafala and others who are still on the run in Uganda and outside,” President Museveni said.
According to the president, what is not yet clear, is whether Muzafala blew himself up accidentally while carrying the bomb on his lap or he did so deliberately. However, he was being followed by CMI squads.
Peace and Security remain the Pride of Uganda
Despite other petty Terrorism attacks in Uganda, the country has since 1986 when NRA took over government defeated several terrorist groups including LRa, ADF among others.
Uganda now stands the highest peace and security exporter in Africa with the UPDF boots touching Somalia, Central African Republic, Equatorial Ginnue, South Sudan, Rwanda, DRC,Burundi, and Liberia.
Ugandans have the ball in their hands to protect the treasure they have or let it fall to the opponents politicize security issues and let the country’s peace go to the dogs. If I were Ugandan, I would choose to die protecting the treasure.
The writer is a Security, Peace and Conflict commentator from Benin leaving in Uganda on a research tour.
