Protesters unleash bees on anti-riot police officers

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 18 OCTOBER 2011

Police warned last night of stern action against whoever was responsible for a “bees attack” against its personnel in Rukungiri District where business was paralysed amid heavy security deployment in the crackdown on renewed walk-to-work protests.

Two unidentified protesters shocked police when they approached a patrol pick-up on Republic Street and smashed two pot-fulls of bees at them. The insects went wild, stinging the officers as protesters gathered.

The police officers, who were patrolling the street at about 11am, fled the scene as onlookers also scampered for safety. Scores of passengers were left stranded as the bus park remained closed. Boda boda and special hire stages were also deserted. Rukungiri District Police Commander Julius Selube described the bee attack as a dangerous tactic. He promised action against the suspects.

Rukungiri, the home district of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, remained tense as protests against the rising cost of living, amid perceptions of widespread State corruption, got off to measured start.

Thirteen arrested
At least 13 people, some of them area leaders of opposition parties, were confirmed as having been arrested or confined to their homes by security forces in the region.

About 20 people had started walking to work from Ntungamo’s Centenary Bank area moving towards FDC office but police intercepted them at Ntungamo Secondary School.In Ntungamo District, police fired in the air to disperse peaceful demonstrators. The District Police Commander, Mr Francis Kabera, said six people were arrested for allegedly disrupting business and inciting businesspersons to join them.

Those who were in police custody in Ntungamo by press time include Ms Alice Kafoda, the FDC chairperson for Women League, Mr Denis Mugizi the municipality FDC chairperson, Mr Benon Nuwagira, a businessman, Mr Aloysious Twine, the FDC administrative secretary, Mr Justus Muhwezi and Julius Sunday, a businessman.

Four other suspected demonstrators were arrested by Bushenyi police. All those arrested had not appeared in court by press time.

In Mbarara, DP vice president for western region Imam Issa Makumbi and three others were still in police custody by press time. Regional police spokesperson Polly Namaye said the Force was still consulting on charges to prefer against the suspects.

Policemen, who had camped outside the residences of opposition politicians in Mbarara Town, arrested Imam Makumbi soon after he emerged from his home on Makan Singh Street and attempted to address journalists.

Other politicians who were confined to their homes by a combined force of police and military personnel were FDC’s Stanley Katembeya and Mr Charles Atamba, the party’s district spokesperson.

Elsewhere, heavy security presence was visible on the main roads in all the four districts that make up Kigezi sub-region.

Eight A4C activists arrested

Walk to work protests resume

Activists launch second phase of walk-to-work

DP Boss Caged Over W2W

SOURCE: THE RED PEPPER, 17 OCTOBER 2011

DPC Ngozi Naanyurura arrests Imam Makumbi the DP boss in Mbarara

Imam Makumbi, the Democratic Party vice president for western region has been arrested for participating in the walk to work protests on Monday.

Makumbi was intercepted along Makan Singh Street in Mbarara town on Monday morning as he started his walk to work journey just a few meters away from his home.

Makumbi was arrested at around 9.30am by the Mbarara district police commander Nicklaus Ngonzi, who found him addressing the media along the street on the walk to work protests.

He was immediately driven away to Mbarara central police station in the DPC’s personal car. The police declined to talk to the media over Makumbi’s arrest.

Meanwhile, security remains tight in most parts of south western Uganda following the announcement by Activists for Change on Friday that they were resuming the walk to work protests.

By 5am on Monday morning, all hot spots and homes of prominent opposition leaders had been sealed off according to the regional police publicist, Polly Namaye.

Namaye says they could not sit and wait for the A4C to take advantage of their absence on the road to disrupt people’s businesses and the ongoing UNEB examinations.

Namaye says though they had talked to the organizers of the walk to work over the weekend to give up their plans, police could not take it for granted and had to deploy fully.

Walk to work: Teargas, gunshots rock downtown Kampala

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 17 OCTOBER 2011

A Policeman closing in on a protestor in Kampala on Monday who taking part in the walk to work demonstration. Thirteen people including the organizers of the walk to work demonstration have been arrested and due to be charged in courts of law.

Teargas and gunshots have on Monday morning rocked parts of Kampala City as Police battled to disperse protestors attempting to take part in the Walk to walk demonstrations. Many shops have remained closed in the Central Business District following the disturbances.

Witnesses say the Police action was prompted by protestors who blocked traffic on Kyaggwe Road and Kisekka Market Road while throwing stones at passerby motorists.

By 9.30am, despite the Police assurance that the situation had normalized, shops remained closed in Kisekka Market, at Equotorial Shopping Arcade, and other shops while protestors are still pelting stones to security personnel.

Kampala Metropolitan Police publicist, Ibin Ssenkumbi said the Police presence in the area was prompted by a group of persons who blocked traffic, “We intervened to enable smooth flow of motorists.”

Witnesses at the scene say the Military Police and other security agencies have been heavily deployed and are patrolling the streets amidst taunts from the protestors standing on the closed shops.

“The situation here is tense; people are throwing stones continuously at the security personnel and cars passing. There is a lot of noise and hooting,” said a witness.

The incident come as the planned walk to work protests resume despite Police warning people to desist from participating.

At Kanyanya, Gayaza Road, Police mounted a road block slowing the flow of traffic prompting exchanges between motorists, their passengers and the Police.

Dr Besigye was by 9am addressing an FDC meeting at Rider Hotel, Seeta, Mukono amidst heavy deployment of security operatives around the hotel.

13 arrested as walk protests resume

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 17 OCTOBER 2011

KAMPALA

At least 13 members of the pressure group—Activists for Change—were in police custody by press time, as they planned the resumption of the walk-to-work protests today, which police has warned they will crush. President Museveni also yesterday warned that the protests would be stopped, as they would disrupt the Senior Four final examinations that start countrywide today.

“I have heard that some people want to disrupt the national examinations. I want to warn them that they will not disrupt the examinations. We shall not tolerate anybody to disrupt the examinations of the children,” the President told a news conference in Kampala.

Plain clothed security operatives arrested the 13 activists as they attempted to leave the A4C offices on Katonga Road in Kampala. They were taken to an undisclosed location.

The activists had been attending a meeting called by the FDC Secretary for Women, Ms Ingrid Turinawe, who said the meeting was to discuss a letter addressed to the A4C national coordinator, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, by the police, chief, Maj. Gen Kale Kayihura, over the walk-to-work protests scheduled to begin today.

“As our members walked out of the offices, they were rounded up by unknown people who we believe were plain cloth security officers,” Ms Turinawe said. She said 10 A4C members were arrested in the operation and the police later detained three others who went to look for their relatives at Jinja Road Police Sation.

Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said those arrested were found with “exhibits in connection to the walk to work”. Some of those arrested include Hassan Kirunda, Allan Mutagubya, Shafik Sebandeka, Martin Mayanja, Ziyadi Muteesa and Mathew Walakira.

An unidentified student of Makerere University who had attended the meeting was also arrested in Wandegeya. The three others who went to Jinja Road Police Station to search for their relatives and were detained are Jenny Lubega, Faridah Nakabugo and Rajab Kaya.

A4C had written to police requesting permission to conduct a week of walking to work that would end in a rally at Kololo Airstrip on Saturday 22.
Gen. Kayihura on Friday wrote back saying the request would not be honoured because police had received petitions against the protests from several interest groups.

Of particular concern, Gen. Kayihura said, were parents and school administrators who have informed him that the national examinations are set to begin today, yet A4C allegedly intends to paralyse public transport. “We are aware that the senior four examinations begin on October 17 which coincides with the start of our walk-to-work week. We are anxious to ensure that they start and complete their exams successfully,” Mr. Mpuuga said in a press release on Saturday.

When Daily Monitor visited the A4C offices yesterday security operatives were lurking at the entrance of the offices. For close to two hours, Ms Turinawe and other activists locked themselves in the building as they made phone calls to other activists to come to their rescue.

Journalists from several media houses flocked the area, prompting the security operatives to leave. Ms Turinawe and other activists later left the offices on foot.