Police Vows To Arrest Demonstrators

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in Uganda news May 17, 2022

Yesterday, a team of lawyers managed to gain access to political activist Col (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye amidst heavy police deployment around his home.

They promised that they would sue government for damages despite the police’s warnings to arrest anyone demonstrating.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Mr Gawaya Tegule, and Ms Proscovia Kunihira are the lawyers that made contact with Besigye. They arrived at his home in Kasangati at 10:30 am. However, the police only allowed them to proceed to the house at midday.

“We have been instructed to sue the government and the attorney general for the damages they have caused to Dr Besigye for this time they have been holding him,” Mr Lukwago said after their meeting with the political pressure group, People’s Front for Transition.

The police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, said during their weekly press conference that they discourage the use of illegal procession.

By this, he implied that FDC violated the rights of the community. This was through disruptions in traffic flow, looting of shops, mugging and theft of phones from bystanders, provocative behaviours such as burning tyres and running battles with police.

“We, therefore, call upon Besigye to respect the rule of law and abide by the Public Order Management Act. They are supposed to inform police three days prior to their meeting. This is by indicating the date and time when they are planning to hold their procession, its purpose and other basic information that justifies their procession and assembly,” Mr Enanga said.

It has been 5 days since the police put Besigye under what they described as a preventive arrest. This is after his attempt to mobilise Ugandans to rise up against the high cost of living. They said it had started affecting vulnerable citizens.

Since June last year, fuel prices kept skyrocketing, which has affected the prices of other commodities.

On May 1, president Museveni addressed senior government officials, security operatives, and workers’ representatives, and other Ugandans gathered at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds to celebrate Labour Day.

He advised that those who cannot afford bread should eat cassava.

This dashed the hopes of Ugandans who were counting on government to initiate short-term interventions to cushion them against the skyrocketing prices.

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