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by Rodney Muhumuza | KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda deploys military escorts and buys armored trucks for each of its more than 400 legislators while blaming growing insecurity, but critics blame the decision as too expensive for a poor country. has long been regarded as one of the most stable nations in Africa.
President Yoweri Museveni issued the directive on June 29 in a letter to the Minister of Finance invoking "superficial crime and terrorism"
. Since the enactment of a bill last December, 73-year-old Museveni may have been asked to comment on the threats in the 2030s. Kizza Besigye, leader of the United States Ugandan opposition, said on Twitter that legislators felt the need to strengthen their security "because they were used" by Museveni in his efforts to extend his reign
It is unclear how much the news will cost security measures for legislators. Most lawmakers are with the ruling party.
A ruling party deputy, Ibrahim Abiriga, was shot dead by unknown gunmen near the capital, Kampala, last month. It was one of the many firearm attacks in the country since 2015, including a prosecutor, a police spokesman and several Muslim preachers
Museveni, a key ally of American security, took power in 1986. four times. The last vote in 2016 was tainted by allegations of fraud
Although Museveni has been campaigning on his strong safety record over the years, some worry that these gains will be exhausted while he stay in power longer. In crisis, the International Crisis Group reported at the end of last year that lawmakers were ready to pbad the bill that removed a presidential age limit from the constitution. "Uganda urgently needs political and administrative reforms to prevent a slide into an increasingly dysfunctional, corrupt and insecure system," said the think tank
. , which relies heavily on external borrowing to finance ambitious infrastructure projects, is struggling to increase domestic revenues. The new taxes pbaded last month include a daily levy on the use of social media that has sparked anger and calls for protests at the national level.
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