The Internal Affairs Minister, Gen Jeje Odongo, has blamed the rising spate of murders and insecurity on opposition politicians, who he says are using the situation to politically discredit the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
While responding to concerns raised by Hon Francis Zaake (IND, Mityana Municipality), Gen Odongo said progress was being made by security forces to implement action plans suggested by President Yoweri Museveni in a past address to Parliament.
“The security agencies have tried to understand what factors drive this new crime trend and politics is one of the drivers,” said Gen Odongo.
“One of the greatest successes of the NRM government has been to provide security for Ugandans [and] this is why the population has voted for NRM; many detractors are aware of this and are trying to create the impression that the NRM government has failed on this,” he added.
The Minister also blamed drug abuse ‘receivism’, which he said is the practice of ex-convicts returning to society after serving their sentences only to continue with criminality.
Gen Odongo presented a report card on the progress of implementation of President Yoweri Museveni’s famous 10-point security interventions delivered in 2018 to address the then escalating criminality.
The Chief Opposition Whip, Hon Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, wanted the debate extended, and also criticized the Minister for claiming politics was at the centre of the spate of murders and kidnaps.
“The minister raises issues of policy; pleading that people don’t politicise security yet he is the one playing politics with it; when he was serving the previous government and aided the escape of criminals,” said Ssemujju.
Last week, the country woke up to the murder of a one Maria Nagirinya and her driver, who had earlier been abducted.
Police has now released CCTV footage showing the suspected murderers.