Monday, September 20, 2004
Uganda 'Hostage Crisis': Ministers Express Security Fears
By JULIUS BARIGABA
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
AFTER THE attack on their colleague, Minister Maria Mutagamba, by two suspected terrorists who held her bodyguard and secretary hostage for eight hours, many Ugandan ministers say that they are now more particular about their security than ever before.
Security, with more police guards being stationed at ministries, has been beefed up following the siege at the Ministry of Lands on September 9.
Minister for Gender and Labour Zoe Bakoko Bakoru told The EastAfrican that even before the Mutagamba incident, several suspicious elements had come to her offices at Workers House, and she had received threatening phone calls with unknown callers asking her, "Do you think you can't die?"
Ms Bakoko Bakoru said that at one point the situation became so worrying that she alerted some colleagues in government and security agencies.
When the September 9 attack on Ms Mutagamba's offices occurred, some friends called Ms Bakoko Bakoru thinking she was the one under siege.
The Gender Minister said it was imperative for government to beef up security around ministerial offices. Other ministers said that whether the hostage incident was a circus or not, it was a point of concern.
Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi told The EastAfrican that while this should not worry ministers, it raises security concerns, which the government is currently addressing.
He said the government had the capacity to contain any incidents but added that it was his job to alert the public to be more cautious, among other things.
Other ministers interviewed by The EastAfrican, however, said that what happened at the office of the Ministry of Lands was "a mixture of confusion and mystery," which up till now has not been properly explained.
They said it was worrying that President Yoweri Museveni, addressing a press conference a day after the attack on the minister’s office, described the incident as a "circus" when the lives of the two employees of the ministry had been at stake.
State Minister for Finance, general duties, Mwesigwa Rukutana told The EastAfrican, "I am being extra cautious, I have my own private guard at my residence and I don't frequent pubs other than my own. So I have no security worries."
The Minister for Luwero Triangle, Prof Semakula Kiwanuka, who recently said that his life was in danger following his stand over the issue of federal status being granted to the Buganda kingdom, said the incident was a threat to ministers' security but declined to comment further on the phone.
Sections of the local media quoted Information Minister Dr Nsaba Buturo a few days after the hostage incident as having said more such incidents were likely to occur in the future and directing ministers and the general public to be on the alert.
Uganda is currently gearing up for a general election in 2006, which promises to be a turbulent one, given that most parties have split, including the ruling Movement.
Over 20 ministers interviewed by The EastAfrican between Monday and Thursday sounded alarmed about the incident, saying that their security should be beefed up. But most felt that the country's security agencies were capable of handling any terrorist attack. Uganda currently has 64 ministers.
Intelligence experts however say that the attack exposed serious weaknesses in the security system, and the hostages were rescued unhurt only because the hostage takers themselves were not hard-core terrorists. The two men were last week sent to Luzira prison.
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