President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Police to stop granting police bond to suspected petty criminals, saying it is abetting insecurity in the country.
In his end of year’s address to the nation, the President also said he had asked the judiciary through the Chief Justice to end giving bail to suspected criminals on trial.
“I have asked the Chief Judge to stop court bail for such people. But for police, I have banned bond, because I have authority over them as the Commander in Chief,” he said.
Museveni said that it has worked in the Karamoja Region where the military court does not grant suspected cattle raiders bond or bail, and that this is the reason there is peace there.
Instead, he said that the government should focus on skilling such youth so that after they have been released they can engage in useful economic activities.
On the petty crime, he mentioned coffee theft which has seen the increase in the harvest of raw coffee beans which in turn is affecting Uganda coffee quality on the international market.
He said that the farmers were rushing to pick the beans so that they get them before thieves come for the product. He warned that if the local security and police failed to combat this crime, he will be forced to deploy the army and the Local Defense Unit personnel.
“If I call in the army and the LDUs, I assure you it will not be good for the thieves,” he said.
While congratulating the coffee farmers on the high prices, the President said the country could not afford to see this opportunity to earn big failed by the thieves.
The price of coffee has reached 40-year highs for Arabica beans and 47-year highs overall. The price of Arabica beans has increased over 100 percent since January 2023, and the price of Robusta beans has increased over 200 percent.
Several high producing countries have suffered extreme weather like heavy rain, storms and floods, while Brazil has been hit with drought.
The President also took time off to justify the dissolution of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), which he called useless, in the rationalisation of public expenditure programme.
He said the increase in coffee production to close to 10 million bags annually was because of “our scientists” and the acreage expansion programmes not under UCDA.
The President also expressed government sympathy to people affected by disasters like landslides in the Elgon and Rwenzori regions and well as the Kiteezi garbage disaster and floods in wetlands.
He however, cautioned people to avoid settling in such disaster-prone areas. “Why do you build on a slop that is 30 degrees in angle (gradient)?”
He added that destruction of wetlands and forest cover was responsible for the increasing numbers and intensity of the natural disasters.
Museveni also informed the nation of the continuing challenge of the Mpox outbreak.
“The good thing is that it is not as difficult to control as coronavirus which moves though the air,” he said, explaining that the virus spreads by contact, sexual activity, sharing of personal items like clothes and seats.
Unfortunately, he added, that transmission through sex is most likely during the incubation period or before the affected person shown symptoms, which calls for more safe sexual behavior among Ugandans.
The President also congratulated the sports fraternity which continues to bring the country glory but admitted that the government was yet to do enough to support the industry.
He said that this shows that with a little more support, the country could achieve even more.
