On Monday morning, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a letter assured the nation that Minister Mwesigwa Rukutana will be prosecuted with “robust charges” including attempted murder, among others.
Many Ugandans thought Museveni was making a political statement, and soon the incarcerated Minister would be released on bail from Mbarara Police Station.
Museveni later Monday while handing over motorcycles to NRM local council leaders reiterated that “a Minister” who orchestrated violence in Ntungamo is in jail and will be prosecuted.
That is when a section of the public understood that Museveni was angry particularly over the chaos that marred the party primary elections.
Rushenyi County in Ntungamo District became the epicenter of violence after Minister Rukutana and his henchmen descended on a clique of civilians and clobbered them until a one Dan Rweiburingi an FDC supporter backing Rukutana’s rival Naome Kabasharira sustained deep head injuries.
He is admitted to Mbarara Hospital. Rukutana is in prison on remand until September 15 when he will appear in Ntungamo court for bail hearing.
Sealing Rukutana’s Fate
On Saturday afternoon, a video clip involving Rukutana seizing a rifle from his bodyguard and aiming it at unidentified people in a car went viral on internet, sparking off public distress, President Museveni was briefed about the matter.
According to a source in State House, Museveni who was already irked by the chaotic scenes from the NRM primaries, watched the Rukutana clip with utter disgust.
“However he didn’t take it very seriously,” said a source. But Museveni instructed that police must immediately take action.
“That is when the IGP was notified and he immediately instructed the Ntungamo DPC to swing in and apprehend Rukutana,” a source added.
But because the President was occupied he didn’t follow the former Attorney General’s matter until Sunday.
Anger Piles
A separate source added that on Sunday, since Rukutana and the Ntungamo violence were the talk of the nation in the media, and because the President reads and watches a lot of news from all nooks of the country to have an informed view, he interested himself a lot more in Rukutana’s issue.
On Sunday night at 9pm he called for an urgent meeting, and further summoned State House online team.
“He wanted a brief on what is happening on social media about Rukutana and the public perception,” added Museveni.
Museveni also asked his security chiefs what exactly happened.
“The President wanted to establish whether Rukutana shot at the FDC man. He was told that Rukutana didn’t shoot but bullets were fired in a scuffle at Rubaare Town.”
At around 11pm (Sunday night) the President met his social media handlers to ascertain what the public reaction was at the time.
“He was told that the public strongly condemns Rukutana’s actions in strongest terms,” adds a source.
At this point the President had examined the video clip by re-watching multiple times.
“This is unacceptable,” a visibly angry Museveni banged tables, says a source.
Museveni would later dismiss the team and locked himself inside the office.
At 5am (Monday) he again summoned his social media handlers.
He had written a letter about the NRM violence and briefly tackled Rukutana where he maintained that the Minister must be prosecuted.
He instructed the team to disseminate the letter as early as 7am so that it is captured in media early enough.
