Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President, Gen Mugisha Muntu has condemned the raid on Rwenzururu King’s palace and arrest of the king by joint security officials from the Uganda Police and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) saying it was too fast and uncalled for.
He said that there were a number of options available for the regime and security officials to take before ‘heavy handedly’ forcing their way into the palace which they had surrounded and taken total control of.
“Why was the security acting in such a hurry? Were they expecting a formidable force from the palace that would come and over run them? Where were they getting all the pressure from?” he wondered.
Gen Muntu was Monday afternoon addressing journalists at a press conference held at Travellers Hotel in Jinja.
He noted that among the options that could have been taken were surrounding the palace, denying entry or exit to any person until the attackers surrendered.
“Security had taken full control of the palace after surrounding it. They had the capacity to deny access in or out until the militants surrendered. We have seen army units that have been surrounded for months until surrender,” he said.
“There was no hostage situation to say that they were rushing to rescue them before they are executed. What forced the security officials to act within 24 hours?”
Police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi however earlier explained that the security forces suspected that the attackers had retreated to the King’s palace to re-strategize and get better weaponry.
“We gave the king time to cooperate and send the attackers out but the time expired before he complied. We had to enter and flush them out,” Kaweesi said adding that there were weapons found in the palace which were recovered.
Muntu also said he learnt that the king was willing to cooperate with the security and was waiting for an official to engage in negotiations by the time they burst into the palace.
He railed the manner in which the king was arrested and treated saying it was disrespectful despite the situation they were acting under.
“This is a cultural leader of more than 1 million people. If he can be treated in the manner which he has been treated, up to even incarcerating him in Nalufeenya, what will happen to the ordinary Ugandan?”
“They (security) have done this to politicians, they are doing this to cultural leaders, it’s going to get to religious leaders and grow into a bigger crisis.”
UPDF Second Division Commander Brig. Peter Elweru on Sunday revealed that President Museveni called the king and they agreed to push everyone out of the palace but he didn’t honor the agreement.
“Yesterday at night we talked to him. Again His Excellency talked to him at night and they agreed he remains with only 9 (6 guards and 3 cooks),” Brig Elweru told journalists after the mission.
“We sent in people he wanted to try to persuade him to surrender those people but we realized that he was under siege by his own people (guards).”