The Leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Gen Mugisha Muntu has warned that Uganda will remain a target for international terrorist groups like Al-Qaida and ISIS as long as the country continues its fight against them in foreign countries.

While speaking to the media on Monday, September 11, 2023, Muntu stressed that, countries with forces in other nations like Somalia should invest in domestic security, there by preparing their forces for any terrorism threat.

“They should prepare their forces to be able to detect and neutralize any threat at the domestic level because they should know that they are the target,” Muntu said.

He proposed that Uganda, Kenya and Burundi should prepare their forces to detect and neutralize any domestic threat.

Muntu pushed these countries to invest heavily in their forces and embrace professional practices to prioritize the security of their nations instead of personal gain.

He highlighted that leaders must be accountable to the population and give direction to domestic concerns such as poverty and unemployment to prevent further insecurity.

“Normally when you have a country which is non-accountable to the population, there are also those who use the loopholes of the security to benefit themselves, and the moment you have leaders who slid into that temptation, then it can actually become a bigger problem to the cause of insecurity,” he stressed.

The retired army officer said that, the demoralization of security forces impacts negatively the morale and professionalism of the forces.

“When we are in this kind of situation, you need to have the whole country behind you. You need to do things on the domestic front where people are benefiting because you have the people who think they are bottled up. That itself is a problem,” Muntu said.

Muntu’s warnings come after Uganda police recovered six improvised bombs in Kampala in a period of two days in September 2023.

The bombs were discovered in Bunamwaya, Lungujja and Kayanja zone. Police arrested a 28-year-old man identified as Ibrahim Kintu as he was entering Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral with a deadly bomb in his bag. Following his interrogation, he revealed a plot involving six terrorists and led the police to a rented house where more bombs and other items were found.

The United Kingdom previously issued a terror alert for Uganda which was initially criticized but later acknowledged as a real threat by Ugandan security authorities.

According to a counter-terrorism report by the United States government, Uganda is vulnerable to terror attacks. Therefore, it’s crucial for the country to remain vigilant and take necessary measures to mitigate these risks.