Prime
Museveni assures Ugandans of peaceful elections, not happy with EC
What you need to know:
- I would have become a Bishop if God had not given me another assignment. God is not meant to be mocked.Don't tell lies. God will not be happy. We will not tolerate violence and criminals," President Museveni
- When Covid-19 came we analyzed it as a simple disease to avoid. We put in place restrictions until we were falsely accused- that we were curtailing people's freedoms. People are now dying & we are organizing burial parties," President Museveni during National Prayers
President Museveni Friday vowed to deal with anyone who tries to disrupt the January 2021 elections, arguing that peace is what he and his colleagues in the National Resistance Army (NRA) went to fight for in the 1980s.
“The elections will be peaceful because that is what we fought for. Nobody will disrupt our elections. I have seen some people including foreigners playing around but I can assure you that we shall have a peaceful election. Whoever puts himself in the path of disturbing a peaceful election will face it. They deceive themselves,” Mr Museveni who is also the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) told a congregation of religious leaders and government officials who had gathered at State House Entebbe for national prayers.
Mr Museveni, 76, also accused foreigners of working with people he described as local opportunists supply marijuana and money to street children in Uganda to cause mayhem.
“That’s partly a mistake of these NRM cadres because they were not reaching out to these street children yet we had told them to do so. The NRM people have their own mistakes of laziness and selfishness, etc but they are not disruptive like the opposition. Fortunately now we are in touch with them (street children). When I brought the likes of Full Figure and Buchaman, I was attacked by the NRM structures. They wondered why I was dealing with them but I told them that it was because they were not reaching out to them (street children),” Mr Museveni who’s seeking to extend his rule to the fourth decade added.
The president also said he will not tolerate more scenes of violence on the streets of Kampala following last month’s riots that left more than 50 dead and scores injured when security operatives opened fire to contain the situation.
“When you sow dishonesty you sow dishonesty. I have been hearing people complaining about violence. Yes, there was violence but who caused it? I was in Karamoja campaigning then I heard that there was violence in Kampala because Bobi Wine had been arrested for violating SOPS; and they are actually still violating them. That’s why you see [Ruth] Nankabirwa here was also saying that they want to join Bobi Wine (to start addressing mass rallies) so that they kill (sic) Ugandans,” he added.
Mr Museveni who has been in power since 1986 also accused the Justice Simon Byabakama-led electoral commission of doing nothing as National Unity (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi violates electoral guidelines and standard operative procedures.
"I don't know why the Electoral Commission of Justice Byabakama and the police should allow all this nonsense to go on. I am not happy with the EC," Mr Museveni added.
However, Mr Museveni’s remarks came just hours after Mr Byabakama summoned Mr Kyagulanyi and FDC’s Patrick Amuriat for alleged persistent breach of the electoral guidelines and standard operating procedures to control the spread of Coronavirus.
The two presidential candidates are required to appear before EC on Monday (December 14, 2020) at 11am to defend themselves and also forge a way forward.
