SECURITY: President Museveni wants law to criminalise cattle rustling

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has met with the country’s Security High Command and hailed the successful handling of several pandemics including COVID 19, Locusts, Operation Shujaa and the security situation in the Karamoja region.

He commended the UPDF for their efforts in enforcing Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) when the pandemic was at its peak.

CDF Gen Mbadi (C) and a team of five officers salute the Commander in Chief Gen Museveni during the high command meeting at Entebbe. The five officers had taken oath of allegiance PPU Photo

Gen. Museveni said: “I congratulate you for going through the Corona pandemic. Thank you for doing your part of enforcement. Many countries like U.S.A lost many people, over one million, but because of our correct line and guidance we only lost about 3,000 people.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcwQv2-63w4

The President added that if it weren’t for the indiscipline of some opposition groups during campaigns that led to the second wave of the virus, Uganda would have lost very few people.

President Museveni also hailed the UPDF for fighting the locusts and more recently detecting elements that wanted to make Uganda ungovernable during the recently concluded presidential elections.

He said: “I salute you for your contribution. Thank you for fighting the locusts and for stopping the insecurity that was paused by some wrong elements during elections with the aim of making the country ungovernable.”

Chief of Defence Forces Gen Wilson Mbadi and other senior UPDF officers attending the military high command meeting at State House Entebbe on Thursday. PPU Photo

The President briefed the High Command about the progress of the Operation Shujaa in Congo and assured them that the operation is moving well and soon ADF will be no more.

Museveni said: “The operation in Congo has gone very well and we are now in phase three of sweeping all the camps of the enemy. We have only lost 3 soldiers and two of them died from self accident.”

Mr. Museveni said that this was all because of the good planning and strategies of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).

Operation Shujaa is being implemented following a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Uganda and the DRC to conduct joint operations for the eradication of ADF and other foreign-armed groups in the eastern part of DRC.

On the issue of cattle rustling in Karamoja, President Museveni said that there should be no cows stolen from anyone and that the government is going to work on the security roads in the region to facilitate the swift security operations.

“The cattle rustlers are not a big problem. Nobody should be stealing cows. I want us to make a law criminalising cattle-rustling,” he said.

Chief of Defence Forces Gen Wilson Mbadi and other senior UPDF officers salute Commander in Chief Gen. Museveni at State House in Entebbe PPU Photo

During the same meeting, President Museveni commissioned 5 junior officers at the ranks of Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant who have been undergoing  Basic Military Training Cadet courses in Kenya, United Kingdom, and Jamaica respectively.

The President stated: “I Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic Uganda and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces by the virtual of the authority entrusted to me by the constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the law governing the defence forces of Uganda do hereby commission you to be officers of Uganda People’s Defense Forces at the ranks of Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant. May God help you.”

The officers commissioned include; O/CDT Agaba Junior who has been studying in Jamaica for one year, 2nd LT. Edgar Koojo who has been studying from Sandhurst school, United Kingdom for one year.

Others were Lt. Andrew Mwebembezi, Lt. Alfred Blac Mulabi and Lt. Allan Akampulira who were all on a three years course in Kenya.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Defence Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, State Minister for Defence Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth, the CDF Gen. Wilson Mbadi, the Coordinator Operation Wealth creation, Gen. Salim Saleh, Senior Presidential Advisor on Peace and Security Lt. Gen. Proscovia Nalweyiso and officers of the High Command among others.