The State House has dismissed as fake a letter that has been making rounds on social media indicating that President Museveni issued an order for the arrest of several businessmen for “funding” a rebel group.
The letter, which has been widely shared on different social media platforms, calls for the arrest and reprimand of Uganda Coalition Forces of Change funders on the order of President Museveni.
Deputy Press Secretary to President Museveni Faruk Kirunda said the letter is fake, asking the public to disregard it.
The letter showed that Uganda Coalition Forces of Change is a rebel group led by one Frank David Ssemwogerere and it has been operating in Uganda for some time.
It alleged that the rebel group has been receiving funding from some of the businessmen in the country including; Al-Hajji Njubi of World Fisheries, Hajji Musitafa Kisitu of Rwenzori Limited, Ibrahim Kitabalwa of City Tyres, Richard Kasozi of Ziiru Island and Rtd. Maj. David Mugambe.
Other businessmen that have been mentioned in the letter are: Jabeeri Nsubuga of Mayuge Sugar, Sserwadda Kalooli of Lwadda Pharmacy, Karim Hirj of Imperial Hotels, Rtd. Major Nyansio of Safe Boda and Patrick Ssembajjo managing director of Buganda Broadcasting Service.
The letter alleged that these people have been sponsoring terrorism through the said rebel group, killing police officers, innocent civilians and stealing guns for some time now.
The development comes at a time where there have been ongoing attacks on the police stations by unknown people leaving some officers dead or with serious injuries.
Kyabadaza police station is the latest attack by unknown gunmen on security facilities.
The raids targeting police officers had prompted heightened surveillance and crackdown on criminal gangs in the central region. In June, the army arrested three people in Luweero on accusations of being Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.
The narrative of planned attacks feeds into previous cases of unknown people throwing explosives in local leisure hotspots in the city before two main bomb explosions targeting the Central Police Station in Kampala and passersby on Parliamentary Avenue.
The suicide attacks prompted Uganda to deploy its army, the UPDF, to launch a counter-offensive against ADF in their lairs in eastern DR Congo.
Many of the attacked police stations reportedly have weak defences and shortage of manpower.
More than 120 police posts, especially in the central region, were closed as police management implements the sub-county policing model, which aims to strengthen security. The move came as a result of rampant attacks on the police stations.
