President Salva Kiir has jetted in Kampala, Uganda, for President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in slated for Wednesday, May 12.
The president has been accompanied by the Minister of Presidential Affairs Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Beatrice Khamisa Wani, the Presidential Press Unit has said.
“Today 11th May, 2921, His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit left Juba to Kampala, Uganda to attend the inauguration ceremony of Uganda President elect His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni scheduled for tomorrow 12th May, 2021,” the office of the president said in a tweet.
Museveni—who won January 24 general election with over 50 per cent—will rule Uganda for the sixth term, making him one of the longest African presidents. He shall have ruled for more than 40 years since 1986.
He has been accused by opposition groups of being dictator who continues to rule with an iron rod suppressing voices of his dissidents.
On Monday, NUP candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi alleged on a twitter post that the Ugandan security personnel had been deployed around his compound.
“The situation around my home is still tense. Dozens of soldiers are surrounding my home, checking every vehicle that comes in or going out. all these to suppress the citizens’ voices as the emperor crowns himself for a 6th term! In this I am confident,” Kyangulanyi twitted.
His tweet came just after the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party revealed that Dr. Kizza Nesigye’s home had also been marooned by the soldiers, but the motive of the officers remained unknown.
The Daily Monitor reported on Monday that Ugandan soldiers had also led arrested 41 perceived opposition supporters. When asked about the decision for the arrest, National army deputy spokesperson, Col Deo Akiiki told the media in Kampala that the decision was hinged on intelligence reports that the suspects were planning to disrupt the event.
“We have heightened our support to civil authority (police and other civil security agencies) as mandated by the law in a bid to ensure that the country and the inauguration ceremony of the new president is safe and secure for both Ugandans and our guests from all over the world. For that matter, UPDF has put at disposal all its elements to the Uganda police. This is across all the services, land forces, Special Forces and the Air force,” he is quoted by the Ugandan press saying.