Opposition politician Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu has criticized President Yoweri Museveni for putting his overstay in power ahead of the welfare of Ugandans.
The 2021 presidential flag bearer for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is concerned that citizens would continue to suffer if they don’t wake up and reject the Museveni regime’s prioritization of his survival in power.
After his September 21 visit at the Makerere University Main Building scene of a weekend fire outbreak, Muntu said the “slow and ill-equipped response of the fire brigade was unacceptable.”
He noted that “Government invested in arming itself to the tooth when it comes to quelling legitimate opposition gatherings, but has never prioritised equipment to protect citizens and the economy from fires like these.”
The former army commander added: “This reveals an unfortunate reality: the regime is focused on its survival not the welfare of the state. This is not a political argument or attempt to score points. It is a fact. And unless Ugandans send a clear message that it is unacceptable, we will have more of the same.”
Muntu also expressed pessimism in the Museveni administration’s commitment to investigate the cause of the fire that destroyed key offices housed in the iconic Main Building.
“The nature of the fire warranties a swift, thorough and transparent investigation. One would hope that the government would invest in being seen as taking swift, decisive action. On the evidence of similar incidents in the past however, there’s very little basis for such hope.”
At the end of his 20th Coronavirus address on September 20, President Museveni blamed the Makerere fire on negligence.
A security guard and a police officer who were on duty on the night the fire broke out are in detention to help with investigations.