Police to maintain permanent presence at Besigye’s home
SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 10 OCTOBER 2012
Police will maintain a “permanent check point” on the road that leads to the Kasangati home of the Forum for Democratic Change President Dr Kizza Besigye, Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, Felix Kaweesi said on Wednesday.
Mr Kaweesi said the check point at the road has to be maintained for “general security reasons”. However, Mr Kaweesi did not divulge details of the “general security reasons”.
“Police has always had a checkpoint at the junction that connects to Dr Besigye’s home from the main road,” Mr Kaweesi said, adding: “Whether Dr Besigye has problems with security or not, whether he is in the country or not, the checkpoint on that road has to remain.”
However, Mr Kaweesi said much as Dr Besigye is not under house arrest “but monitoring his movements at a close range.”
Dr Besigye, the leader of the country’s largest opposition group, has on several occasions slipped through the police cordon to access the city centre to participate in “walk to freedom protests”. On all the occasions, he was promptly arrested and dumped at Kasangati Police Station where he was held until late in the evening and released without charge.
FDC Spokesman, Wafula Oguttu, yesterday said the party would challenge police’s action in court.
“He is not a criminal and police has no right to do maintain deployment at his home. If they want to hold him, they should go to court and hold him formally,” Mr Oguttu said.
Police say the activists were planning to disrupt independence jubilee celebrations by staging protests. Two weeks ago, the police banned all public rallies ahead of the celebrations.
In October last year, Dr Besigye sued the Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kahiyura, and the Regional Police Commander Kampala Metropolitan North, Mr Sam Omala, challenging his being placed under preventive arrest.
Kasangati Grade One magistrate Jessica Chemeri ruled that police detention of Dr Besigye under a colonial era law of “preventive arrest” was illegal.
Meanwhile, police yesterday withdrew from the homes of the Kampala Lord Mayor, Mr Erias Lukwago and Masaka Municipality MP, Mr Mathias Mpuuga.
“As long as they do not disrupt public peace, they are free to go and work.
“As long as they do not disrupt public peace, they are free to go and work.
But if they disrupt peace, we shall step in,”Mr Kaweesi said.
Police has been stationed at the homes of opposition leaders to prevent them from accessing the city centre to participate in protests dubbed “walk to freedom.
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Police has been stationed at the homes of opposition leaders to prevent them from accessing the city centre to participate in protests dubbed “walk to freedom.
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