President Museveni Narrowly Escapes Being Shot Dead by His Bodyguard

This could have been President Museveni’s last seen photo had his bodyguard’s shot found its mark. The shot was fired shortly after this photo was taken. Here he chats with (L-R) Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and EALA Speaker Margaret Zziwa at Parliament yesterday

The whole incident has been kept out of all main Ugandan and Kenyan newspapers, the London Evening Post reports. It appears no one wants it said that Museveni faced near death at the hands of one of his own highly trained body guards.

According to the report, President Museveni had just wrapped up speaking at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) at parliament in Kampala and was headed to his waiting convoy when the shot was heard, coming from amongst his security guard.

One of the country’s legislators spoke to the London Evening Post on condition of anonymity and explained what happened: “It was unfortunate for the young man (the body guard) who was just boarding a military pick up when his pistol fell from his waist and let off a shot.”

The guard, dressed in a black suit, was traveling in the third pick-up escort truck in President Museveni’s long 20-vehicle motorcade. He was immediately shot and wounded by one of his colleagues who believed he’d attempted to take the Museveni’s life.

In the pandemonium that followed, legislators fled the scene, the president was quickly secured in his bullet-proof vehicle and the wounded body guard with the errant weapon was bundled off in another truck in the motorcade, which departed in haste.

The question still remains: was this a deliberate attempt on Museveni’s life. The London Evening Post cited inside sources who did say it was unusual for the safety catch on a guard’s weapon to be off and ready to be fired.

Museveni has enemies, as is expected when one holds on to power for over a quarter of a century, but the Evening Post did point out another reason the long-term president might have acquired fresh disdain.

A plan known as the “Muhoozi Project” came to light, so named as it involves Museveni’s alleged plans to hand over control of Uganda to his son.

A letter by a General Sejusa asking authorities to investigate threats against those who oppose the “Muhoozi Project” was published in the Daily Monitor newspaper and the Red Pepper tabloid in Uganda.

Both papers were shut down by police.

The Ugandan president’s tight leash on the nation’s media perhaps explains why not one paper reported about his near death experience, the London Evening Post speculated.

from thelondoneveningpost.com