The Ghetto Structure, Kampala Metropolitan, has responded to Kira Municipality Member of Parliament (MP), Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, over his earlier remarks in which he alleged that attackers of FDC delegates were known to the Ghetto Structure, Police leadership, and AIGP Christopher Damulira, the Director of Crime Intelligence.
In a statement on Wednesday, Shafik Kalyango, the National Coordinator of Ghetto Structures, said that while he condemns political violence and criminality, Ssemujju should have “carried out sufficient research before coming up with such outlandish statements that risk injuring the reputation of the well-organized Ghetto structures and individuals,” the lawmaker mentioned.
He, however, said that for a long time, the same youth were exploited by politicians and dumped.
Kalyango said “this is now changing since the beginning of last year when State House, Crime Intelligence, and the Ministry of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs…” started organizing ghetto youth with the key objective of reducing acts of criminality, stopping involvement in acts of political violence, and empowering them through talent identification and development, skilling, and start-up capital to improve their economic well-being.
As a result, the structures were formed in Wakiso, Kampala, and Mukono.
Through the structures, Kalyango said the Police, State House, and the Ministry of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs were able to, among others, set up a system of coordination from zones to divisions, partner with Makerere University to skill ghetto youth, and provide capital to the ghetto youth to engage in productive ventures.
“We can confidently inform you that these efforts are paying off,” Kalyango said.
According to Kalyango, crime rates are reducing, just as political violence and the well-being of the youth improve.
He said that while the youth who beat up FDC delegates and journalists were not known to the Ghetto Structure, the Police used the Structure to arrest the suspects.
Kalyango identifies the suspects as Nsamba Geoffrey and Lunkuse John, all residents of Kibiri Zone in Busabala, Makindye-Ssabagabo. The other suspect, Kalyango said, is Musana John. Kalyango said that Musana had stolen a laptop belonging to the Observer journalist, Baker Batte. He says that using the Ghetto Structure, the suspect was traced, arrested, and the laptop recovered from Mutasa Kafeero in Kampala.
“From the above, you can clearly see that the allegations you made lacked research,” Kalyango told Ssemujju.
He encouraged Ssemujju to apologize to the Ghetto Structures, Ministry of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, and Police leadership and suggest better ways through which political leaders can work with police and other security agencies to ensure smooth policing of political processes.