The Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has pleaded with a section of Ugandans who are celebrating the death of his fellow bush war comrade, Gen. Elly Tumwine to evaluate him objectively before drawing to conclusions.
Minister Otafiire made these remarks in an interview on NTV today in regards to the public reaction towards the former security minister’s death.
“Our biological past will inevitably catch up with us. What is important is how we leave. Have we invested enough in politics after us so that when we leave the contribution, we made to uplift the quality of life of people is maintained?” he asked.
Otafiire further divulged that some of the people who are pouring out their feelings on social media are those who, in his (Gen. Tumwine) exercise of power, got disappointed with him.
“That is the hallmark of government. Those who were prevented from what they wanted to do feel angry,” he said.
He contended that he would like Gen. Elly Tumwine to be evaluated objectively, to be put under scientific scrutiny, to be approved for what he did and for them to criticise what they believe he did wrong.
National Resistance Movement (NRM) Communications Director, Emmanuel Ddombo, who was also part of the discussion disclosed that behind Gen. Tumwine’s military hardware and appearance was a very soft person who really loved God.
He added, “You would see this demonstrated in the various prayer breakfasts and meetings he had with MPs.”
Ddombo however asserted that, Gen. Tumwine’s statement on police shooting rioters was a deterrent message, adding that during riotous situations, many times, the rules of engagement change.
“He was asking people not to risk because you may not know how an officer may act,” Dombo Said.
Their concerns follow mixed reactions from a section of the public who were unhappy with the fallen general’s statement during the shootings in November 2020 riots, after the arrest of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine, in the eastern region district of Luuka.
During the running battles between the rioters and security forces, over 50 people lost their lives.
In the heat of the riots, Gen. Tumwine, who was the then security minister warned Ugandans that security has a right to shoot and to kill anyone involved in the riots.
Speaking to the press at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Gen. Tumwine said, “The police have a right to shoot you and kill you, if you reach a certain level of violence.”
Gen. Tumwine added, “The arrest of one person cannot justify what has caused death, injuries, confusion and stopping people to enjoy their peace. The arrest of any citizen is part and parcel of society, arrests are normal.
“How can you wish that Uganda breaks up? But I can assure you that Uganda will not be destabilized. They have openly demonstrated that they are just people who want to destabilize, burn the city, cause violence, cause death, this is who they are.”
Gen Tumwine said that he had no apologies for anybody who was killed while attacking security forces as they tried to put down protests.
By Kalamira Hope
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