By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Uganda Prisons Services has denied reports that Inmate Jamil Mukulu, the founder and former commander of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terror group was found with maps of State House and military installations.
Frank Mayanja Baine, prisons spokesperson told journalists at police headquarters Naguru on Monday that Mukulu is safe in the hands of prisons authorities at upper prison Luzira.
“Jamil Mukulu is still with us until the law says otherwise, we are going to still keep him,” Baine said.
At the end of last month, the Top Secrets Newspaper and Grapevine, an online blog reported that UPS Commissioner General Cannon Dr. Johnson Byabashaija had made changes in the prison’s security leadership after Jamil Mukulu Kyagulanyi, was found with maps of one of the State Houses, military installations around Kampala metropolitan and that of Luzira prison.
The reports have however been trashed by the prisons mouthpiece as falsehoods stating that the State House architectural plan is not readily available anywhere to the public because there are specialized security team required to keep confidentiality of such information.
Baine further condemned the reports stating that they cause public alarms and appealed to journalists to always contact relevant authorities for clarity and verification of facts before disseminating any information to the masses.
Jamil Mukulu was arrested on July 10, 2015 in Tanzania on accusations of terrorism, treason among other crimes. He was later returned to Uganda following an extradition order.
Mukulu is being charged with 36 others, on 29 charges including murder, terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, and confessing to belonging to a terrorist group the ADF. It is alleged that between 2011 and 2014, the accused persons under the command of Mukulu acquired firearms and training in neighboring countries and funding for economic, social, political, and religious reasons.
The group is also accused of murdering Muslim clerics, Sheikh Yunus Abubaker Mandana, and top Shia Cleric Dr. Abdulqadir Muwaya, who was gunned down at his home in Mayuge district before they reportedly attacked Bugiri police station and killed four police officers including Karim Tenywa, Julius Owori, John Stephen Owori, Muzamir Babale, and LC3 chairperson Tito Okware.
Mukulu was first detained at Nalufenya but later transferred to Upper prison Luzira after he accused security officers of torture.
In 2018, Mukulu shocked the world when he told court that the ADF was receiving funding from president Museveni’s government.
“This government of Uganda sponsors ADF but if it is a terror organization, why do they support them with military logistics and finance,”Mukulu shouted in English.
“They(government) sponsor them every month and it is a fact.”
This attracted public debates and opposition politicians such as Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bibi Wine, the National Unity Platform president sympathized with indicted Mukulu whom he termed as a political prisoner calling for expeditious prosecutions to his case.
“There is also a brother of mine, who many fear to talk about….Jamil Alibakyi Kyagulanyi. Many know him as Mukulu. He is also a political prisoner….” says NUP president Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi in a video that was circulating widely on internet in 2022.
