Kampala. President Museveni yesterday summoned his top security chiefs for an urgent meeting for the second time in four days at State House Entebbe to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country.
According to security sources, the President and the heads of security and intelligence agencies met on Saturday evening following the assassination of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga who was gunned down on Friday evening as he returned home in Kawanda, Wakiso District.
Mr Museveni met the heads of Internal and External Security organisations, Chief of Defence Forces, Chief of Military Intelligence, Commissioner General of Prisons, Inspector General of Police and Minister for Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs.
Security sources say in yesterday’s meeting, the President wanted his security chiefs to update him about the progress on the investigations in Abiriga’s murder and also discuss measures to stop the growing spate of organised killings, kidnaps and robberies that have struck fear and awe across the country.
All government officials were tight-lipped on the matter and nobody was willing to confirm the security meeting on record.
Senior presidential press secretary Don Wanyama yesterday said he was not aware of the meeting and referred Daily Monitor to the security agencies that attended.
“I do not comment on security issues. If there is such a meeting and the media has to be briefed, it will be security people to do that,” Mr Wanyama said.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima also declined to comment. “Ask those who speak for the Presidency,” he said.
On Sunday, Mr Museveni issued a statement, saying the criminals who killed Abiriga and other Ugandans in the recent past were taking advantage of police using old methods of crime investigation to avoid detection.
“The criminals are using simple techniques to defeat this. They use jacket hoods (kwebika ku mutwe), not to be seen properly. They also bend the registration plates of the pikipikis (motorcycles) so that they are not properly read,” he said in the statement signed by himself.
Eyewitnesses said Abiriga’s killers used hoods to cover their faces to avoid detection after shooting him. Former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi was killed in a similar manner by assailants riding motorcycles who escaped undetected.
In his Sunday statement, the President also referred to the Saturday meeting where he said the sub-committee of National Security under the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi, had recommended to him to “call-up” some reserves and deploy them in the areas “where criminals may manifest themselves.”
He ordered for installation of surveillance cameras along streets and highways, assisted by cameras by individuals their business premises and homes at own cost.
He also suggests improving police forensic capacity and mounting Global Positioning System [GPS’] on boda boda (motorcycles) and vehicles.
