The Leader of Opposition (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga has castigated the government for refusing to update the nation on the security situation in the country, following several bomb scares, wondering why the Speaker has to plead to cabinet for updates on such sensitive matters.
Over the weekend security agents foiled a suspected terror attack at Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral, in Kampala reportedly recovered some bomb-making devices in other localities.
“I would expect that the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Internal Affairs to be sensitive and even move ahead of the Speaker to come and make a statement on such a sensitive national matter. It speaks a lot about the people managing our security in our country that Parliament, which is the voice of the people, doesn’t deserve to know and ask particular legitimate questions,” Mpuuga said.
“We demand that the Minister in charge of Security appears and explain what is happening. What should we tell our voters, that somehow the Speaker is demanding & you don’t care. You are the Executive, we are Parliament, are you sleeping on duty? What have they come to do, beyond securing the nation, why are you here, to tell us what? I believe they are cheating us and taking the house for granted,” Mpuuga said.
Rukia Nakadama, 3rd Deputy Prime Minister rejected claims that the government is sleeping on the job for failing to update Parliament on terror threats in the country, saying President Museveni has not yet authorized the Minister of Security to issue such a statement.
“I want to assure this house that the Executive is not sleeping on the job, if it was doing so, you would not have known what is happening in the countryside. Because it is because of the work that the Executive and Security is doing, you were informed of what is happening and what has been done. On matters concerning security it is supposed to be the President to guarantee the security minister to come and brief and I understand he is aware and the Cabinet was briefed,” Nakadama said.
Nakadama also warned MPs against rising publically complaining about the limited human resource and equipment at their district Police stations, saying such a move exposes vulnerability of their areas, thus setting their districts up for attacks by terrorists.
“Security issues are not supposed to be public, you are alerting people how vulnerable you are, since they are security issues you need to be vigilant and not expose your weak points,” Nakadama cautioned.
However, Speaker Anita Among asked Deputy Prime Minister Nakadama not to defend the undefendable saying Parliament is not interested in details on how the bombs are being detonated, but rather how the nation should live amidst the bomb scares.
“We will not continue listening to Enanga alone, because for me I learnt from Enanga, let the Minister come and give a report and tell us how to live, we need to be guided as a country,”
Among also commended police for the swift response on suspected terror and urged the general public to remain vigilant and always work with security.
“I commend the security for their swift response and urge the general public to remain vigilant and always collaborate with security,” Among applauded.