Uganda Police: Tumukunde Request to Rwanda to Topple Museveni Landed him in Trouble

Uganda Police Force have said former Security Minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, was on Thursday evening arrested from his private office in Kololo, Kampala, over his remarks urging Rwanda to cause regime change in Uganda.

While appearing on a television talk show in Kampala, Tumukunde appeared to ask for support from Rwanda.

“If I was Rwanda, I would support people who want to cause change in Uganda,” said Tumukunde.

Uganda’s current relations with Rwanda are at their lowest and the prospect of an all-out war is yet to be ruled out.

Tumukunde’s remarks were condemned by several high profile Ugandan officials.

“This is the most reckless statement  I have heard from anybody running for President,” said Uganda’s envoy to United Nations, Adonia Ayebare.

“Inviting  a foreign country to interfere in our politics, which is in contravention with the UN charter and other regional protocols?” he wondered.

Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister Frank Tumwebaze exclaimed on Twitter: “And i wish the moderator @SimonKaggwaNjal had probed him further on what happens if he became President through those means, and then again the same country that meddled  and supported him continues to meddle by supporting those opposed to his…”

Below is police’s statement in full:

We would like to inform the public that on the 12.03.2020, at around 7pm, a joint security task team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, arrested Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde for alleged Treason.

His premises at Kololo were secured for further search this morning, for any additional evidence of material value.

The arrest follows his utterances in a series of radio and television interviews, which seek to foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence, fomenting and glorifying violence in general.

He in addition, calls on the support of a neighboring country to support him in removing the current leadership with or without the ballot.

He is therefore, being charged under Sections 23 (2) b and 23 (3) b, of the Penal code Act, which deals with instigating persons to invade the Republic of Uganda and inciting any persons to make a mutinous assembly.

As always our number one priority is the safety and security of all Ugandans.

And we would like to thank our task teams for their swift action, upon recognizing the impact of the inflammatory and provocative rhetoric by the suspect on members of the Armed forces and the wider public.

This should also act as a deterrent to others who would like to promote views that seek to naturalize violence in our country, Uganda.

CP Fred Enanga

PRO

Uganda Police

13th, March, 2020