President Yoweri Museveni has tasked security to clamp down on unscrupulous people who have been misusing social media to spread malicious and outrageous propaganda.
Museveni warned abusers of social media saying “security should go for them.”
“Social media is an idiotic problem that we need to solve. The social media has apparently been saying that Museveni is dead. So the security service needs to check with them to locate quickly the one who tells such a story because you waste people’s time. They [Security] should go for you,” Museveni said while presiding over the swearing in ceremony of another batch of Ministers at Kololo Ceremonial Ground.
Since last week, fake posts have been circulating on social media indicating that Museveni is hospitalized in Nairobi and later, that he had passed away. While the fake news continued to circulate, Museveni was in Kampala conducting national duties including laying a foundation stone for the construction of a multibillion pharmaceutical drugs and mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility two days ago.
Museveni said that whereas the issue of fake news is not a big security threat, security services should not leave the perpetrators to go scot-free.
“The other day I went that side of Bombo (in Matuga) to lay a foundation stone and the people were looking at me very [strangely] because they had been told by social media that Museveni is dead. So all those spreading fake news, security is going to pick you up, and if you are abroad, your citizenship will be cancelled, so that you learn to stop wasting people's time,” Museveni said.
Museveni also asked the public to continue observing SOPs and other guidelines in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, saying that the previous measures including the lockdown has helped reduce on the transmission rates. Previously, 17 out 100 people would test positive for coronavirus. However, this has since reduced to 7 or 8 people out of 100 tested.
Among the ministers who were sworn in today include; Attorney General Kiwanuka Kiroywa, Dr Monica Musenero, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Evelyn Anite, State Minister for Investments and Privatization, Alice Kaboyo, State minister for Luweero-Rwenzori Triangle etc.
