Mityana municipality Member of Parliament Zaake Francis has attacked the Commander of Land Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF for his unremorseful statement towards the massacre of people in Kasese in 2016.
While speaking to journalists on Tuesday after making an oath as one of the UPDF representatives in Parliament, General Peter Elwelu confirmed that the more than 100 royal guards and family members who were killed during the Kasese clashes were criminals who deserved it.
Gen Elwelu noted that although the community depict him as a bad and ruthless human being who commanded the killing of people in Kasese, it has not taint his image, but rather a pat on the back for a job well done.
“Even ICC set me free and said you have no case to answer, so what are you talking about? Those were criminals, I didn’t kill anybody else. They deserved to die because I was on the ground and you were not on the ground, that’s the problem. I know I’m a judge of my own during my work, I understand and that is what I do, I know what I do that’s why I have no problems here. Uganda is peaceful because of my actions and Kasese is peaceful, they are doing very well. Did you hear any problems with Kasese again? Only quiet,” Elwelu boasted.
It’s from this statement that Zaake lashed out at Gen Elwelu for being heartless.
“There are statements you hear from those wielding authority and you wonder if they have any feel for the people that facilitate their welfare in form of unfair taxes. The entirety of yesterday is a manifestation of what awaits us this new term. As if that’s not enough, the Kasese holocaust leader, ‘Lt. Gen.’ Elwelu authoritatively and without any regret, he asserted that he regrets nothing like killing the 154 citizens that died at his hands on the fateful day of November 26, 2016! He said the Bakonzo people ‘deserved death’! These comments when heard by people who lost relatives at the hands of these reckless criminals, trigger fury and rage! The Elwelus and Twiines may not know the weight of their statements but truth be told they are disgusting! Our ears can’t stand such impunity,” Zaake said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
In the same spirit, while reacting to Gen Elwelu statement, the Kasese Woman MP Florence Kabugho also said that it will be God to deal with the senior army officer who killed her people.
“People may be very quiet but they are very very hurt because of the atrocities that were committed altogether. Someone cannot kill your mother, your sister, brother and you move on. We have no guns to use, we’re not going to incite violence, no. But the law one time will catch up with him, I still insist that one time the law will catch up with him, the people of Kasese are very very bitter because of the atrocities committed onto them. We’re shedding tears because of our brothers and sisters killed. Many people have been left orphans, many people are widows,” Kabugho said.
In November 2016 an operation was conducted by the military and police where they attacked the Rwenzururu kingdom’s administration offices and the palace compound killing more than 100 people. According to a report released by Human Rights Watch in 2017, at least 153 people, including children, died during the raid.
After setting a braze-on the palace, the Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere and more than 150 of his royal guards were arrested and after a month they were arraigned before court in Jinja district and charged with treason, terrorism, and murder, among other crimes. Many spent more than four years in detention, until recently when they were all granted bail.
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