Deputy Mufti asks security to reduce on violence against civilians

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The first Deputy Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Abdallah Semmambo has asked security to refrain from using excessive force while dealing with civilians.

Semmambo was speaking at Gadhafi National Mosque in Old Kampala where he led a special prayer ahead of the national elections next week.

He says security being trained personnel are expected to act professionally as they exercise their mandate. Security has recently been criticized for using excessive force, brutally beating, arresting and killing Ugandans protesting or engaging in political activities.

More than 54 people were killed in November during protests while many were brutally arrested by security. Several have also been arrested brutally on accusations of flouting COVID-19 guidelines during campaigns.

Semmambo says that if Uganda is indeed a democracy, it should emulate other developed democracies on how they deal with their citizens and their rights like freedom of expression.

He says the citizenry has its right to freedom of expression and should be respected.

This week, the leadership of the Muslims national body, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC issued a circular instructing all Mosques in the country to hold a special prayer for the country as Ugandans head to the elections.

Semmambo who led the special prayer after the Friday Juma prayers at Gadhafi National Mosque however said that maintaining peace is not just a job of security but the general public.

He cautioned the public against being used by politicians, adding that while the election shall come to pass, the country shall continue to exist and should be protected against individual interests.

He asked the faithful to be agents of peace not violence

Before the special prayer, the Secretary for Zakat at UMSC Dr. Ziyad Lubanga delivered the Friday Juma sermon which was also hinged on peace and security.

Dr. Lubanga asked Muslims to be peaceful because that is what their religion stands for. He says no one should harm others using their tongue, speech or their hands. He therefore preached against hate speech, incitement to violence and physical acts of violence.

He says differences in opinion and choice shouldn’t be a basis for violence and abuse of others’ rights.

As Uganda heads for the polls, there is rising tension within the citizenry with some predicting violence.

Security has deployed in different parts of the country especially in Kampala and the Metropolitan areas that security tagged as prone to violence. On Friday, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola warned anyone planning to engage in any kind of protest. He said they would regret why their mothers produced them. The IGP also justified the targeting of journalists saying it is for their safety and pledged more beatings against the journalists if they don’t comply with police orders not to go to certain scenes.

Najiib Nsubuga, a Muslim voter and keen follower of the political processes in the country is however concerned by the heavy deployment across the country which makes a civil electoral process seem like war.

He says the heavy deployments project a tense situation and undermine the credibility of the process as it could out of fear, affect the public’s ability to exercise their duty to vote.

Nsubuga specifically speaks of the involvement of the Military in the electoral process and the acts of violence they have previously meted out against Ugandans especially during protests.

He thus says praying for a peaceful election is important and should not be a one off.

Uganda goes to the polls next Thursday 14th January to vote for the president and Members of Parliament.

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