Security Minister Gen Elly Tumwiine has said authorities are exploring a number of theories in regard to the violence that was sparked by the arrest and detention of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) on Wednesday.
Minister Tumwiine told press in Kampala on Friday that security was probing among others whether or not the protesters in Kampala and other parts of the country were armed with guns.
More that 30 people are said to have been killed and police as the army descended on the streets to take on the violent protesters who were setting fires in the roads and mounting roadblocks.
The Minister said authorities were deeply concerned about the level of organization of the violent groups.
“We know that most of the victims had gunshot injuries and we saw a lot of guns on the streets but we dont know to whom all these guns belonged ,” he said.
“We are are investigating to see if some of the shooting was done by the rioters because they were very organized. They had all kinds of weapons on standby including machetes, hammers, tyres, knives,” he said.
“I see one of you (reporters) shaking his head, may be he was part of them…but we arrested these people and we impounded these weapons. We have them, we have all the evidence.”
According to the minister, the arrest of Bobi Wine, a single person should not have caused so much chaos and damage.
“He is is just one person. There is no person that cannot be arrested be it a minister, a judge or a religious leader,” he said
Tumwiine on the other hand appealed to the peace loving ugandans to rest assured that their secuity will not be compromised by a small group to rioters.
“I hear some people saying oh, we are more than the police. They forgot that the Police has the army and all these other security agencies and also the peace loving wanainchi on its side.”
“Those who are bound to cause chaos will reap what they sow. If you sow violence you will harvest violence.”