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Uganda Government Press Statement Regarding #Walk2Work Protests

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Statement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

PRESS RELEASE

RIOTS WITHIN KAMPALA CITY

On 27th April 2011, Dr. Besigye was granted bail from Nakasongola court and one of his bail conditions clearly stated that he should not involve himself in unlawful assembly and processions as it would attract crowds within Kampala city disrupting the peace, security, and possible loss of life and  property.

Yesterday 28th April 2011 at 6:30am, Dr. Besigye defiantly started walking from his home, Ssenide road, Kasangati accompanied by about seven foreign journalists and three local journalists.

Three senior police officers advised Dr. Besigye to follow the court directive by Her Worship the Chief Magistrate Justine Atukwasa, to avoid unlawful assembly and processions for at least seven months. He responded by challenging the police to buy him fuel for his car.

Dr. Besigye moved while the police tried keeping order on the road especially at strategic areas towards Kalerwe bearing in mind the violent and criminal nature of some of the people around the market area. He got through the roof top of his vehicle and beckoned the crowd to join him. The crowd kept building up.

Dr. Besigye reached Kalerwe-Kubbiri around 8:00am and insisted on driving towards Wandegeya Centenary Bank. The police blocked him at this point for two major reasons:

  1. The route to Wandegeya has many people of different characters some of whom with potential to turn violent with intention to loot.
  2. Police had heard intelligence reports that Dr. Besigye wanted to divert through Makerere University to attract university students to improve his crowd to greater chances of causing chaos.

On consultations, Dr. Besigye was advised to go through Mulago around about and get to any centenary bank branch. If all his intentions were genuine, he could not defiantly refuse police’s humble advice. He defiantly remained standing through the roof top of his car chatting with foreign journalists for about one hour.

Thereafter, he took the left turn toward Mulago around about. As he drove he kept beckoning the crowds to follow him. The mob started throwing stones at police who responded by chasing them away using batons and shield, without using tear gas at all.

Dr. Dr. Besigye drove to Mulago round about and parked his car in the middle of the road after police blocked him from driving towards Wandegeya and was being directed to drive through Yusuf Lule road up to his office in Najjanankumbi. He defiantly stayed in the middle of the road for another three hours from 9.30am to midday disrupting traffic flow, despite repeated advise from senior police officers.

All this time, police acted with extreme restraint, keeping at bay the crowds from Katanga and Wandegeya who were being called in by Dr. Besigye. The crowd began showering stones at the police, one stone hit the right eye of a police constable. At this time, the crowd surged and wanted to grab the policeman’s gun from him. Other police officer saved his gun and the injured constable was rushed to hospital.

At this time, a senior police officer approached the left window of Dr. Besigye’s car urging him to drive off. The officer was sprayed with a can of pepper spray by one of the associates of Dr. Besigye who was seated with him in the car. While this was going on, Dr. Besigye was giving press interviews that included foreign journalists.

By this time it had been evidently clear that:

  • Dr. Besigye was disrupting traffic intentionally
  • He had defied police advise for 3 hours
  • He and his group in the car had clear intentions to do harm to the police. This was exemplified by the equipment of the pepper spray used by one of his aides to spray the eyes of the police officer while he, himself was handling a hammer threatening police with words, “I will hammer you…”
  • The crowd following him had become more militant and violent to other road users by throwing stones.
  • Dr. Besigye was blatantly disobeying one of the conditions given to him while being granted bail at Nakasongola court the previous day.

Basing on the circumstances of the time and keeping in mind the degeneration of the situation it became irreversibly justified to use appropriate force and pepper spray to effect arrest of the defiant Dr. Besigye and his accomplices who were driven back to Kasangati police station en-route to the court of law.

While at Kasangati police station, Dr. Besigye was offered the services of the police surgeon which he refused, preferring to his sister Dr.Kobusingye who came and gave him first aid. His lawyers and Hournable Alaso had access to him.

Late afternoon, Dr. Besigye, his driver Kato Fred, Kavuma Robert, Mugumya Sam, Kalanzi Geofrey, Mwijukye Francis and Byomuhangi Martin were charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly C/S 65, sub section 66 of the Penal Code Act and assaulting a police officer C/S 238 (d) of the Penal Code Act.

Dr. Besigye was bailed out while his accomplices were remanded to Luzira prison.

Today 29/4/2011 beginning around 9:30am, some rowdy groups crowded and began forming up at different places trying to block access roads to the City Centre.

The police, therefore, within its constitutional mandate restored law and order and removed the blocks from the roads, opened the roads, disengaged the crowds to ensure that those with criminal intentions, DO NOT reach the City Centre to disturb the normal business life of the city.

The police, other security agencies call upon the public to work hand in hand with it to ensure that law and order are maintained. Government assures the country that the situation is under control and every citizen should go about his/her way and anyone who disturbs the peace should be reported to the authorities for prompt action.

A.M. Kirunda Kivejinja

Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Internal Affair

The Besigye Fiasco: Are Humans Inherently Evil?

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Are humans inherently evil? Is anybody capable of doing the most cruel act to another person? Let’s bring it home; do you or me have the potential to unleash evil of cataclysmic proportions to another being? The answer is YES!

But why do I ask this question?

Yesterday, today/yesterday, a very young man who belongs to the police unit of Uganda presided over and participated in the brutal arrest of Dr. Besigye. Within hours of his grievous acts, photos of the victimizer and his family had made rounds on social networks. Some who know this security agent, known as Gilbert Arinaitwe were shocked that he was the same person caught on television and still photos commandeering in the most inhumane means, the arrest of a political party head.

But perhaps more un comprehendible is that this young man serves an organ and a government and that these institutions have a headship, who presumably are aware, have coached and  sanctioned the actions of the junior officer. It is also unbelievable that such brutality as happened in the years preceding the NRM regime have come back to haunt us. Many are wondering; how can a saintly government and president morph into an evil and monstrous one. They, like me, perhaps do not want to believe that todays events are happening, and that Museveni is aware that they are taking place. They, like me, naively hope that somehow Museveni will reign on the goons that have taken over the police, militarized it and made it perhaps more fearful than the military itself.

I think many of you who read the piece that I wrote yesterday, cheering on the proposed talks between the president and the opposition get the drift. I am so naive, so trusting, so hopeful, so idealistic. I believe that the majority of Ugandans are the same way, hoping that the president that was once our hero would slowly find his groove back, and that God would smile on us and keep our country  from plunging back into eras similar to the reign of Idi Amin. Yet, all signs show that we are closer to the edge than we think or want to believe. I was deeply perplexed when I saw President Museveni on national television talking about his recent electoral victory and squarely looking at the camera lens, and then complain on how the opposition was involved in massive electoral bribery and malpractice. At that moment, I saw that the president’s heart had become hardened, and that like the egyptian pharaoh, he had no desire for repentance. The glorious and beautiful soul of Yoweri Museveni had over time, for the love of power, fortune and fame slowly eaten at him, turning and twisting him into an evil one, presiding over and institutionalizing injustice, violence, massive corruption, and moral decadence.

In the end, as I write, i am reminded that an evil force can not be uprooted by physical means only. Ugandans must pray and fast. Ugandans must wail and cry. Violence is not the only means of achieving an end. In addition to the #Walk2Work, I would like to call on religious and cultural institutions to join the struggle of freedom. Religious leaders should encourage their people unequivocally to pray and fast so that things can change. In the end, perhaps God will have mercy on Museveni and he will repent. If not, God will will guide us to a new path. What I know is that we shall not sit and do nothing, for then, evil will prevail.

Share this piece within your social network, and start a dialogue by commenting. This is a blog-site and the opinions are mine. Most of the writings are not researched, or written for anyone’s professional writing approval. If you are interested, you can write an article and we will post it. You don’t have to be an expert in writing. This is a blog about voices of Ugandans, whatever party you belong to.  We reach a couple thousand readers.

For God and my country.

Uganda #Walk2Work Activism: How Far Will it Go?

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For three weeks now, Ugandans, mostly from the opposition have been protesting the rising inflation reflected by high food and fuel prices. From the onset, the initiative seemingly led by Dr. Besigye and Mr. Mao has turned violent, with the police not allowing the two men and their followers to exercise their “right to walk.” The police have reasoned that the walk will disrupt peace and cause violence. Yet in many ways, it seems that the police have handled it badly, causing the violence instead. The denial of diminutive freedoms such as expressing one’s anger against government in public is intensifying.

Four people have lost their lives, including a two year old baby. The deaths and violence are very unnecessary and this may be largely blamed on government. In my view, the government fears that the opposition wants to take advantage of the wave of violence that has swept across North Africa. There is legitimate fear by the government that it could be toppled through violent means. And yet, this is an opportunity for the government to get its act together and correct some of the messes they have done. Instead, the classical arrogance that Ugandans are used to is what we are hearing coming from President Museveni and the leadership of the police. That food and fuel prices have risen around the world is not a secret. But for Uganda, the most water networked country in the world to be experiencing such severe food shortage is inexcusable. There has been unwillingness and shortsightedness to focus on making strategic and proactive policies that go beyond food, population, energy, education, and health. Uganda is a country without a National Security Strategy, a glaring tale that we are unprepared for anything.

The president’s argument that food shortage is because of a severe drought and neighboring importations is hollow and seriousness. Uganda has the potential to feed the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa, year in year out. Yet, for the past decades, people have been going hungry, making one question if hunger, disease, poverty and a generally dependent population is deliberate.

It goes without saying that there is need for sanity in the opposition. For example, we need them to have an agenda that they are presenting to resolve the problem of food and fuel rather than just walking and not guiding us on. Also, it would have been wise for Dr. Besigye to postpone Thursday April 20, 2011 walk to another day, considering that children were returning home for holidays. He needs to start thinking strategically. I believe that the opposition is not doing well in parliamentary numbers because Besigye is not a strategic thinker. He is fearless, courageous, et al, but that is not enough.

President Museveni needs also to know that Uganda is not his property. It is a country, a nation, and we all have a piece of it. There is absolutely no need for the government to purchase military jets at a cost of close to $1 billion when our people are langusishing. Instead of miltary trucks, the government should invest in education, health and transport. We are tired of corrupt cases that have gone prosecuted. There is no justification to spend $2 million on the swearing in ceremony. C’mon! Where is your love for the people of Uganda? How can you forget so quickly the injustices that you went to fight?

Reboot April 01 Fools Day to Truth Day!

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In February, blogger Sasha Dichter called for a reboot of Valentines Day to Generosity Day. The response was good and to a lot of people, it made sense. In fact, I wrote to Sasha on the same day to tell him that myself and a group of a few other individuals had been planning for a generosity day in Uganda.

In one day however, it will be April Fools Day which in my view needs a reboot, even greater than valentines day. Why? We lie everyday, may be you do not, but the majority of the people do. We fix our way up or down – whichever direction you are taking, write spins in the newspapers and blogs, cheat in our marriages, lie to our kids while they do the same, cheat on exams, and whatever else falsehoods there’s is to do or that you are involved in. We do all this everyday that we do not need a special dayngazetted to lying or fooling around.

Instead, we need a day to set some records straight, a day in which people can come out and make amends with their families, reconcile with friends, confess their misdeeds et cetera. We need a Truth Day on April 01. Imagine if this were a day that became cultural, so that people would tell the truth and then they would receive back grace from those people to whom they confess. That this would become a day to receive forgiveness, healing and a break away from guilt and shame. A lot of people (and that may include you) are hurting with so much shame and guilt, yet as a people, if we so chose to, could help them by providing them a safe environment to get a break through and experience true freedom. A life of “authenticity, empathy, vulnerability, compassion, courage, connection” as taught by Dr. Brene Brown, is what we should all aim for.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in agitating for a Reboot of April a01 Fools Day to April 01 Truth Day. Please leave your comment below and share this post. Thank you.

Uganda Searches for New Parliament Speaker

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We all thought that the election was long gone and over, but alas, brace for a new race. Reports from Kampala indicate that the seat for speaker might become a hotly contested one. This is a good sign, as it shows that even the members of Parliament are dissatisfied with the current speaker, Edward Ssekandi. His legacy has left so much to be desired, and has been widely seen as the president’s puppet. Ssekandi presided over a fake and corrupt parliament, and towards the end of his term, more than 70 MPs lost their seats – which in hindsight, could not have happened if the speaker was serious into his job and guided the errant members of parliament wisely. As it turned out, MPs who stood as independents when they had joined parliament as party members ceased to be members of parliament, according to the legal interpretation by the constitutional court.

But what does the race for new speaker mean for us Ugandans? Shall we finally get a speaker that does not dance to the whistles of the president, but instead, listens to our voices through our representatives? Or shall we in fact, be treated to another musket that can be pulled and shoved into the direction that the president and his associates chose? We can just hope, only hope that we would get an independent minded speaker, regardless of which party they belong, to restore some sort of dignity to the house.

If we are to go by the reports from Uganda’s local press, and they are usually true, Rebecca Kadaga is the stooge to be pushed through. But if the other members within the NRM chose to depart from this choice and seek own selection, we could then experience some positive political dramma. I read that General Jim Muhwezi and Hon. Amama Mbabazi are thinking about the opportunity. Anti corruption icon Nandala Mafabi is also in the fray, while a host of other NRM MPs are showing an interest. If President Museveni loves Uganda, he should stay away from interfering in this race. After all, it is very unlikely that a non NRM will win.

Kampala

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Finally, Kampala mayor election was won by the opposition. Erias Lukwago trounced his rival Peter Ssematimba. In a show of goodwill, yesterday Peter Ssematimba conceded to his opponent while speaking to the press and promised to work towards supporting the efforts of making Kampala a better and cleaner metropolis. On the other hand, the incidents following Lukwago’s win left much to be desired. He declared how he had defeated the President who visibly had a hand in trying to engineer a win for Lukwago’s rival. Also, his victory convoy was halted by police and chaos ensued as his supporters got involved in a scuffle with the police. Moreover, nobody knows for sure how the two roles of Lord Mayor and executive director will work out, and if the two officials will work together to develop the city’s decaying infrastructure or if they will bicker over power, and frustrate each other. I know that the thousands who voted Lukwago wanted to see change come to the city of Kampala. Lukwago and the party of President Museveni should therefore not act like children. They have their differences, yes, we all have differing opinions, but that does not mean we must not work together for the people of Uganda. The voices of Ugandans, and specifically the people of Kampala is to have better infrastructure, improved garbage and waste management, a clean city, de-congestion of the city, services delivery such as water, etc. These should be the aspirations of both the government and the opposition, and not to work together to achieve this will be an over extension of myopic and selfish leadership over the people of Kampala.

The Dramma of Kampala Mayor and Rigged Elections

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Last year, Parliament voted to make the post of Kampala mayor a ceremonial one. I have no clue of the details of the law. One would think however, that this would have made the position of Kampala mayor very less attractive to the position and ruling government. Far be from it! The post is hotly contested by the candidates and their respective parties. The poll for this position was on Feb 23, but it was canceled amidst rigging and violence; it is largely thought the ruling party candidate, Peter Ssematimba and his agents had done a lot of electoral malpractice. Mr. Ssematimba, a pastor and entrepreneur in Kampala claims that these were acts to get him discredited orchestrated by his main opponent, Erias Lukwago, a legislator for Kampala and lawyer. Mr. Lukwago denies this allegation, and wonders how he could stuff ballots for Ssematimba which would make him a winner.

Fresh reports in Uganda’s dailies now show that President Museveni had a meeting with more than 300 of Mr. Lukwago’s agents to persuade them to ditch their candidate. This has angered the opposition, who claim that the president bribed polling agents to fail Mr.Lukwago. These are not good signs. The president has now come out openly to use money to fight Mr. Lukwago, and this could turn violent. Mr. Museveni claimed in the news that Mr. Lukwago wants to fight the former, and that even if the latter win, the government was going to frustrate his programs. This is a little shameful that it can come from the lips of the president. In the wake of these political maneuverings, it is important that people stay away from likely acts of violence, that easily may be engineered by either sides, who are unwilling to yield control of Uganda’s main and dirtiest city, Kampala.

From Limitless Terms to 7 Year Terms

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Yesterday, I was terrified to read in the Daily Monitor News Paper that less than 2 weeks since the new members of Parliament after being sent as people’s representatives, one member and a state minister is planning to forward a bill that seeks to increase presidential terms from 5 years to 7 years. Holy cow! I rarely swear, and this is one of those opportunities that I can’t help but blurt out the words. What is this man, James Kakoza, who is bringing up such a proposal thinking? Is that the voice of his constituents or a machination to perpetuate self seeking ambitions? What a setback that this becomes the big news, after an election in which almost 50% of the population did not vote because of fear, and a lack of confidence in the electoral system! Where is Uganda headed? Read the story on this link and leave comments http://bit.ly/fEXyrg

FDC Calls for a Peaceful Demonstration…

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Dear Ugandans, and all those that care for her.

Today, I heard through twitter that FDC had called for a peaceful demonstration in Uganda following the disputed elections. I followed up with a chat with one of the staff at DANIDA, an agency that funded the Voices of Uganda/Honor Your Vote national communications campaign. She told me that even though the announcement was for a peaceful demonstration, there was a lot of fear that it could turn violent. My personal view is that the timing of the demonstration is not a good one. It could indeed turn violent, by fueling anger into the hearts of people. While I believe strongly in freedom, and fair elections, I value even more the lives of people. The US State Department issued a statement congratulating President Museveni yesterday. The statement acknowledged massive diversion of state resources to buy voters, and a heavy presence of the military, which are factors that could have led to an unfair election. But the statement also urged for restraint from the opposition, and asked them to concede defeat. In all honesty, I share the views of the State Department in that statement. The opposition should wait it out, and the time for a peaceful demonstration will come. If they go ahead and do it now, they risk the lives of thousands of innocent Ugandans that shall be lost at the hands of the Uganda military, and as President Museveni has promised, crash them he will. There are are many civil ways to defeat the NRM, and those are the ones FDC and other opposition parties should concentrate on.

Election Day, Tweets and Facebook…

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Today was election day. There has been no violent skirmishes so far, which is wonderful. I reckon it will not get bad, this is because the all the candidates do not seem to want to go this way, and it also seems the people don’t want to go that way as well. It means that our work, and that of many other organizations has not been in vain. The presence of heavy military and security personnel wielding .50 caliber machine guns on the streets of Kampala, Jinja and other places in Uganda is also a deterrence for violence.

Yesterday, reports indicated that the government through the Uganda Communications Commission had instructed telecommunications companies to filter text messages with words that include #egypt, #mubarak #UPDF #ben ali and other words deemed by security to be keywords that instigators of violence may use. I am told MTN has had the major impact of blocked communications on its subscribers.

The advent of technological communications as the main means of transmitting information is in earnest in Uganda. Results of voting can be easily accessed through twitter and some on facebook, even though usage is not heavy – and people are still using the tools more for socializing rather than information gathering. The Uganda hash-tag for the elections on twitter is #ugandavotes. That’s where I have been following the elections, and particularly Simon Kaheru and his www.Ug2011.com website have been keeping on top of this. The Observer Newspaper in Uganda which is found at www.observer.ug has also been tremendous, while the Daily Monitor has also been fantastic.