UPDF Deployment Authorized in Bushenyi to Safeguard Schools from Alleged ADF Threats
The Bushenyi District Security Committee has reached a consensus to deploy the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) with the aim of enhancing security within the district. This decision follows the circulation of handwritten leaflets that were purportedly from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
These alarming leaflets were discovered at various educational institutions, including Kyamuhunga Secondary School, Kyamuhunga Central, and Kabingo Model Primary Schools in Bushenyi District. The leaflets contained warnings that the ADF would initiate attacks on these schools unless they closed their doors within a two-week timeframe. Furthermore, the leaflets threatened to harm both teachers and students who remained on the premises after the specified deadline.
To address this concerning situation, the committee has formulated a multi-pronged security strategy. This strategy encompasses the implementation of continuous joint patrols carried out by the police and UPDF, the establishment of checkpoints on major urban and rural roads, the thorough screening of residents, and the imposition of strict access control measures for public spaces and events.
Bushenyi’s Resident District Commissioner, Robert Atuhairwe, has expressed optimism regarding the deployment of UPDF troops within the district. He believes that this deployment will bolster the existing efforts of the police and private security teams, thus ensuring the security of all residents and key installations. However, he added that the committee has yet to make a final decision regarding the potential deployment of soldiers to guard the school entrances alongside the existing watchmen.
Atuhairwe further mentioned that his office is in the process of drafting regulations that will be subsequently communicated to schools through the District Education Officer. These regulations are intended to enhance security measures at all educational institutions within the district.
In response to these developments, Marcial Tumusiime, the spokesperson for the Greater Bushenyi Police, has reported that head teachers have been advised to communicate with parents through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and School Management Committees while awaiting official guidelines from the Resident District Commissioner’s office. Additionally, an investigative team comprising members of both the police and UPDF has been deployed to determine the source of the troubling leaflets.
These incidents come on the heels of an attack on October 17, in which three lives were tragically lost. Suspected rebels associated with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) targeted a tourist van in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese.
