–Former Forum for Democratic Change leader Kizza Besigye, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Rubaga North MP Moses Kasibante and several opposition supporters were by press time yesterday still in detention after police stopped their attempts to hold a meeting.
Dr Besigye beat the 24-hour surveillance at his home emerging on Luwum Street between midday, attracting an immediate stampede as traders cheered him.
When crowds of supporters thronged his vehicle, Dr Besigye responded with his trademark V-sign, with the ensuing excitement alerting police.
Besigye’s car towed
Regional Police Commander Kampala South James Ruhweza commanded the police operation that towed Dr Besigye’s car to the Central Police Station. Mr Fred Kato, the driver of Dr Besigye’s car, was also detained.
Teargas canisters were fired into swelling crowds, leaving a vendor injured, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ibin Senkumbi told journalists at CPS.
Speaking to reporters at his home earlier, Dr Besigye insisted he has “business to do in town” and he would get there using “one way or another”.
“What is happening is what happens sometimes, I wake up and find that my home is surrounded and I am not allowed to go out. Nobody is telling me why I can’t go out. I have a lot of business to do in town and I will definitely insist on going to town using any means,” Dr Besigye said.
As Dr Besigye was being carted away, city councillors Allan Sewanyana (Makindye Division) and Ali Mulyanyama (Makindye West) were picked as they attempted to leave the Lord Mayor’s home and whisked off to Kiira Road Police Station, according to Mr Senkumbi.
Sneaked from surveillance
MP Kasibante, who sneaked away from the deployment at his home, was picked up as he approached the Jeema offices in Mengo, the venue of a meeting that was scheduled to discuss the status of the Lord Mayor’s position.
Police operated under the cover of the night darkness to deploy security personnel at Dr Besigye’s Kasangati home and the Rubaga-based homes of Mr Lukwago and MP Kasibante.
Mr Ssenkumbi, said: “We are operating based on intelligence that the politicians are planning to illegally reinstate the Lord Mayor.”
However, he could not explain which charges would be brought against the arrested, saying he needed “to get in touch with detectives first”.
When the Daily Monitor sought further clarification on the charges, Mr Senkumbi did not pick up or return our repeated calls.
The politicians were scheduled to attend a meeting at the Jeema offices in Mengo called by Mr Lukwago to chart a way forward about the impasse triggered by an impeachment vote passed against him by the KCCA council last year.
According to police, the Attorney General had earlier advised that the meeting would be a “breach of peace”.
Genesis
The meeting. Opposition politicians led by Dr Besigye recently announced they would convene a meeting that would chart a way forward on the position of Kampala Lord Mayor based on a court order that said Mr Lukwago’s impeachment by the Kampala Capital City Authority council as was an illegality.
Police position.
Police say, its actions are based on the advise of the Attorney General who has on several occasions insisted that Mr Lukwago is no longer the Kampala Lord Mayor. Therefore he has no authority to conduct any business on behalf of the KCCA.
The Daily Monitor
UM– USEKE.RW
