Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni was sworn in as President for the sixth term on Wednesday.
The swearing in ceremony held in the capital Kampala, was manned by the presence of heavy security which were there to prevent any demonstration by oppositions.
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo presided over the inauguration and Chief Registrar Sarah Langa Siu assisted.
The 76-year-old Museveni was honored with a presidential gun salute and a fly-past. The ceremony took place at the Kololo Independence Grounds in the capital city, Kampala.
“What’s needed now is to expunge corruption,” Museveni said in his speech.
He also charged African leaders to see to the economic prosperity of the African continent.
“I would therefore like to use this occasion to remind the Africa fraternity that economic, and where possible, political integration in Africa is an absolute necessity if we are to address the issue of the prosperity of our people and strategic security of Africa.”
Musevi who has been Uganda’s President for the past 35 years was re-elected in January for his sixth term. He obtained 58% of the votes during the January 14 elections, denounced as a “masquerade” by his main opponent Bobi Wine, who received 35% of the votes.
Eleven African heads of states as well as Chinese and Russian representatives attended Wednesday’s swearing in ceremony. The African leaders are from Burundi, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Namibia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Apart from the tightened security in the state capital, the houses of key opposition leaders
Bobi Wine and Kizza Besigye were surrounded by armed police and military.
“My house has been besieged by the army and police and I am not allowed to leave the house,” Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, told AFP.
“The dictator Museveni is sworn in, well aware that he stole the elections and deprived Ugandans of their rights and he is afraid of people who oppose this ceremonial sham,” he added assuring, “[w]e will continue the struggle to dislodge him from power by peaceful means and it will come soon.”
However, Ugandan police spokesperson Fred Enanga justified the presence of the unusual security presence around the residences of Mr. Wine and Mr. Besigye as “a normal security deployment for VIPs.”
“There were intelligence reports that some people wanted to disrupt the swearing-in ceremony and we took precautions to ensure the safety of some leaders, including opposition leaders Bobi Wine and Besigye,” he said.
“There was also an attempt by Bobi Wine to hold a parallel swearing-in ceremony, but he should be warned that this is illegal . . . and the police will not allow him to do so,” the police spokesman added.
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