President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni used his February 13 night security address to urge Ugandans to ignore talk of politically motivated disappearances.
Recently, internal affairs minister Jeje Odongo told Parliament security agencies were unable to account for 31 missing persons.
But Museveni told the nation different security agencies had made arrests.
These included a group that had been flown from war-torn Somalia.
Museveni revealed the deployment of security personnel was informed by growing criminality ahead of the January 14 elections.
“The lawbreakers and criminals are the ones that forced us to deploy the army to support Police,” the president said in an address at State House Nakasero in Kampala.
“For instance, upon deployment, the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) arrested some criminals and that explains some disappearances.
“We brought a distinguished commando unit from Somalia- which had also destroyed ADF. This commando group quickly defeated the terrorists who wanted to disturb elections. They killed some and arrested some of these terrorist.”
The commander-in-chief assured Ugandans nothing would be hidden.
“The talk of disappearances should be ignored because it can’t happen under the National Resistance Movement (NRM),” he said.
“Under NRM, even if a mistake is made, it will be discovered or answered.”
He has since instructed heads of security agencies to publish names of people under their custody.