Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed mixed reactions on the proposal by President Museveni to restore and deploy Local Defense Units (LDU’s) in the villages of Wakiso and Kampala as a measure to address increased urban criminality in the country.
He revealed while addressing the nation on Sunday that the security committee chaired by himself had resolved to deploy 24,000 LDU’s at a cost of Shs 57bn.
His address followed the gruesome murder of the former Buyende District Police Commander, Mohammed Kirumira who was gunned down 90 days after the murder of former Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga in a similar manner.
Some of the legislators interviewed by SoftPower News at Parliament have expressed their support for and against the president’s proposal.
Buyaga West County MP, Barnabas Tinkasimire
The President makes a suspect proposal, when he talks of deploying 24,000 LDUs. Why deploy LDUs (crime preventers) whose record in this country has been wanting? We deployed them and saw the consequences.
They masterminded heavy killings and robberies, you want to bring them at a time when we are about to go into 2012 campaigns?
The tide of change is around the corner, I suspect he is actually arming his supporters to harass anybody who will oppose him. He knows well that Bobi Wine lives in Kampala, you will see genocide masterminded by these LDUs.
If he is suspecting the police team not to be doing a clean job, he should retrain them or fire those who can’t be retrained, instead of recruiting LDUs just announce new recruitment within police to do community policing.
Busiro East MP, Medard Lubega Segoona
Re-deploying LDUs can not be a solution to insecurity and this can not be solved unless the question of governance is dealt with.
Arming crime preventers and LDUs is more dangerous. This will create genocide and more insecurity in the country. I don’t know whether the President is acting in good faith or just panicking, this is not a good thought.
All we need is to address the question of governance in this country and this calls upon him to declare when he is going to leave power.
Nakaseke South MP, Paulsen Kasana Lutamaguzi
The recruitment of LDUs is just wastage of resources. Why doesn’t he empower the police as an institution? He disempowered the Police which is evident in the criteria and manner used while recruiting new entrants.
The recruitments done are based on tribes, recruiting and promoting people from one tribe while under looking those that have served for years in the force without being promoted.
You should understand that even the LDUs are coming from the same society that is tired of the regime in power.
Even if the President has lost trust in the Police force, he should understand that the only remedy to the insecurity in the country is by handing over power peacefully.
You should have asked him what entails the Luweero plan. Does he mean to say that he is to leave heaps of skulls in the country as it was the case during the war?
Bukanga County MP, Stephen Kangwagye
I totally support his arguments and I thank him for his rich speech because it was wide and had a lot of meanings. Redeployment of LDUs, giving a lot of equipment to RDCs, GISOs, PISOs and the like is what all along we have been requesting because these are the people that are always on the ground.
Mukono South MP, Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga
As someone who was in local government sometime back, I have no problem with the redeployment of LDUs but how will they ensure proper management and administration so that they don’t go beyond the line of duty.
Kabula County MP, James Kakooza
We understand there are gaps in security though this isn’t a concern by only the security forces. All Ugandans must play their role as citizens since we know where all these people reside.
Those committing crimes are part of the society, so, if there is any combined effort to stabilize the country, it must not be left to the government alone but citizens must play their role.
If LDUs are added on the security agencies to beef up security in the country, I don’t see any problem.
