KAMPALA – The Director General of the Internal Security Organisaion (ISO), Col Kaka Bagyenda, has accused opposition politicians of creating groups that have been terrorizing the country.
While parading some of the suspects in Kampala on Monday, Col Bagyenda said some opposition leaders were behind the creation of kifeesi and kijambiya (Machete) gangs that have been wreaking havoc in different parts of the country.
“The fanatical political opposition should apologize to Ugandans first of all, for creating kifeesi and secondly, for inventing a new brand of politics which we banished a long time ago; the politics of hate and sectarian politics,” he said.
The ISO Director General added that they had arrested criminal elements from different parts of the country who have confessed to carrying out the crime.
“We have arrested some of these criminal elements in Busia and Mubende districts who have confessed to above negative plans and willing to testify before the media. We have arrested some ADF elements inside the country that were planning to carry out terror activities,” Col Kaka said.
Some of the paraded suspects were arrested for allegedly dropping anonymous threatening leaflets, burning fuel tankers and plotting the assassination of prominent personalities.
Some of those he paraded included John Kasera, Wilberforce Ogutu, Fredrick Wabwire, Peter Onyango, Peter Mwanje and Moses Bakwanya. Mwanje and Bakwanya said they were being used by Ingrid Turinawe, the FDC secretary for mobilization, to cause terror in the country.
Another is Jamil Muwonge from Ssembabule, who was arrested for allegedly being a member of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces.
The country has been gripped by increasing cases of kidnaps, murder and robbery, the latest being the assassination of former Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga. Since last year, there have been over 10 widely publicized cases of people who have been kidnapped and even killed, while others are still missing.
In 2017, 24 kidnap cases were reported to police, 15 were rescued, while eight are still missing. In February, six people were kidnapped and still are missing.
The machete gangs have perpetrated terror in Masaka, Kampala, Wakiso and Mbarara, killing dozens of innocent people. In some extreme cases, the gangs have circulated leaflets warning the public of impending attacks and have lived up to the threats.
