UPDF Deployed in Bushenyi Amid ADF Threats

Bushenyi District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Bushenyi District Security Committee has authorized the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) to enhance security in response to handwritten leaflets allegedly from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

These leaflets were discovered at Kyamuhunga Secondary School, Kyamuhunga Central, and Kabingo Model Primary Schools in Bushenyi District. They warned of potential ADF attacks on the schools unless they closed within two weeks. The leaflets also threatened to harm any teachers or students remaining at the schools after the deadline.

The committee has decided to implement continuous joint patrols involving both police and UPDF, establish checkpoints on major urban and rural roads, conduct resident screenings, and enforce strict access control for public spaces and events.

Bushenyi Resident District Commissioner Robert Atuhairwe is confident that the UPDF’s presence in the district will bolster the efforts of the police and private security teams in ensuring the security of all residents and facilities. However, the committee has not yet reached a decision on whether soldiers should be stationed at schools alongside the existing watchmen.

He mentioned that his office is in the process of drafting regulations that will be communicated to schools through the District Education Officer to enhance security at all educational institutions.

Marcial Tumusiime, the Greater Bushenyi Police Spokesperson, stated that headteachers have been advised to communicate with parents through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and School Management Committees while awaiting guidelines from the Resident District Commissioner’s office. Additionally, a joint team of investigators from both the police and UPDF has been dispatched to determine the source of the leaflets.

These leaflets appeared in the aftermath of the October 17 attack in which three lives were lost when suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels targeted a tourist van in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese.