Opposition against Museveni growing?

In the previous election, which he won by 60.1 percent, Kasese district voters voted out all members of the ruling party including former Defence Minister, Crispus Kiyonga, who has been in Museveni’s government since it came into power.

Even as the campaigns went on, tensions between the Rwenzururu establishment and government security forces remained visible following another spate of attacks in 2014.

While the scale of the attacks in Kasese remains unmatched given the deaths involved, similar attacks have since the elections, early this year, characterized 2016. For observers, these tensions manifesting are a sign of growing pressures upon President Museveni now in power for over 35 years.

Apart from exhibiting growing animosity against his government, the Kasese incident has also raised more pressures especially questions over human rights abuses. Some of the images coming out of Kasese showed piled up dead bodies with their hands tied behind their backs.

Other pictures of naked women, who were allegedly undressed by security officers and suspects suffering grave wounds in jail and not getting treatment have also sparked criticism from many.

For now, international bodies like the European Union (EU) are calling for full investigations to be carried out “in a timely, inclusive and transparent manner, according to due process and the rule of law”.

The body cited the investigations being carried out by the Parliamentary Defence and Internal Affairs Committee and the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

While it is clear to many that some of the royal guards attacked security installation, the main focus seems to be on the force the government used in counteracting these attacks. Whatever the outcome of the investigations, it is the government, which will be obliged to heed the calls for dialogue, observers say.

Many are also calling for the addressing of the root causes of the conflict. Still, it is the President Museveni’s government that must address the root causes of the conflict.

The Rwenzururu establishment faults President Museveni’s government for marginalization. This marginalization seems to have cristalised into the animosity that he faces from other areas which are becoming radicalized opposition strongholds.

These were not the only attacks this year. In June, police with the army were involved in a gunfire exchange with attackers who targeted a police station in Gulu. While commenting on the incident, Police chief Kale Kayihura revealed that the forces had intelligence that groups wanted to attack police stations in Kampala too.

In that incident, apparently, the attackers left behind 6 Ak47s, one PK machine gun, over 200 rounds of ammunition, bow and arrows. Various weapons were also reportedly recovered from the attackers in Kasese.

The Gulu attack was claimed by group, calling itself the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which Kayihura described as a criminal gang.

Some reports indicated that the group’s intention was to rescue Dan Oola, Uganda people’s Congress party’s National Deputy Secretary for Mobilization, who was arrested by police and was due to appear in court the following day over alleged subversive activities.

Oola was arrested following another attack on a UPDF detach at Opit in Lakwana sub-county in Gulu district sometime in May.

Overall, about 40 people including Colonel Dan Opit Odwee, the UPDF airforce garrison commander, were arrested and detained over subversive activities.

Other UPDF officers were also arrested from Bombo Barracks and Air Defence, Nakasongola District. From Bombo, Capt. Ojara, the head of armoury was also arrested.

Army Spokesperson, Col. Paddy Ankunda told The Independent that Ojara was found with arms. The army picked some 9 people in Kyengera, who included soldiers and civilians.

Away from the army, Micheal Kabaziguruka, the Nakawa legislator, was also arrested, detained and interrogated over subversive activities before being released on police bond.

Political pundits fear that poor economic conditions coupled with security tensions like Kasese and how they are handled might inspire even more resistance in 2017.

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editor@independent.co.ug