{UAH} Uganda tightens security ahead of Museveni's swearing-in ceremony
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7:32 PM |
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Uganda tightens security ahead of Museveni's swearing-in ceremony
KAMPALA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- With just one day to the inauguration ceremony of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for another five-year term, security has been tightened in the capital Kampala and other major towns across the country.
On Tuesday there were several foot and motorized security patrols by the military and police on the streets of Kampala.
Gen. Kale Kayihura, the police chief, told reporters at a joint press conference of security forces that the heavy deployment in the capital and other major towns was in response to possible crime and security threats during the swearing-in ceremony.
"As we move closer to the event, patrols and other security measures will be enhanced," Kayihura said.
Museveni won the Feb. 18 presidential elections. The government says over 14 African heads of state are expected at his inauguration ceremony in Kampala.
Museveni has been in power for over 30 years since he won a five-year guerilla rebellion in protest against the results of the 1980 general elections.
The opposition have vowed to disturb Museveni's swearing-in ceremony, claiming there was fraud in the Feb. 18 elections.
Kayihura warned that police would not tolerate protests by the opposition aimed at disrupting the swearing-in ceremony.
He revealed that some of the opposition leaders had been put under house arrest, while others detained to avoid them from causing chaos during the ceremony.
The government has also banned the media from reporting protests by the opposition.
Since the election day, the opposition has staged several protests with protesters dispersed by police and some of the leaders being moved in and out of police cells.
Opposition candidate Kizza Besigye had been incarcerated at his house for over a month since the election day.
Kayihura said that besides the opposition's persistent calls for protests, there were other security threats that the country was facing.
He said two suspected terrorists sneaked into the country after their accomplices were arrested in Uganda and Kenya.
Meanwhile preparations for the ceremony are in high gear as thousands of police and the military personnel held a rehearsal parade on Tuesday. Military jets and helicopters made a fly past as they readied themselves for the event.
Foreign dignitaries have started arriving in the country for the event, according to a State House statement issued on Tuesday.
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