The Uganda police have released a statement over the ‘ninja style’ arrest of Joseph Kabuleta, the principal at National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED).
Kabuleta was rounded up in an agile way by two plain clothed security officers at his offices in Bugolobi on Monday, bundled into a black drone and whisked off to an unknown destination.
In a statement authored by Fred Enanga, the Uganda Police Spokesperson, Kabuleta is in their custody because he declined to honour police summons to appear before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on November 03,2022.
Enanga says Kabuleta was directed to record statements over utterances he made promoting sectarianism on May 30, 2022, during a press conference at his offices.
He says that Kabuleta alleged that social service delivery in Mbarara is based on ethnic lines of the Tutsi, Bahima, Bakiga and Banyakore hence promoting sectarianism contrary to section 41(1) of the Penal Code Act CAP 120.
“This follows a Police general inquiry that began on the 14th June 2022, by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to verify allegations that Joseph Kabuleta and others still at large, made utterances which were likely to create alienation or despondency, raise discontent or disaffection and promote feelings of ill will or hostility among members of the public.” said Enanga
The has cautioned the public to desist from making statements that may cause discontent, incite violence and instigate hostility among the affected communities.
This development comes as another Sheikh was allegedly kidnapped on Monday morning under similar circumstances.
Sheikh Yahya Mwanje, the deputy at Jamatil Salafiya Tablique Muslim community was nabbed by a group of men clad in civilian attire moments after addressing the press at Nakasero Mosque in Kampala. He was bundled onto a Silver Grey Drone Reg. number UPM 187E.
Details of his arrest remain sketchy as neither police nor other security organs have released statements on his whereabouts.
Sheikh Yahya Mwanje, is one of the suspects in the murder of UPDF Officer Major Muhammad Kiggundu and his bodyguard.
Mwanje was arrested in 2016 and kept in detention until June 2019 when the International Crimes Division of the High Court granted him a non-cash bail of 20 million Shillings and each of his four sureties was bonded for 10 million shillings.
