Developing Story: Besigye, Ingrid Under Siege

http://redpepper.co.ug/welcome/?p=34561

SOURCE: THE RED PEPPER, 5 APRIL 2012

Police today morning sealed off Col. Kizza Besigye’s house and the FDC iron lady Ingrid Turinawe at Kasangati and Gayaza respectively.

A4C are scheduled to hold a rally at Kololo independence grounds after the Attorney General Peter Nyombi declared their activity illegal and banned them.

Assistant IGP Felix Kaweesi yesterday delivered the bad news to members of A4C at Kololo police station where they had gathered to hammer out a programme for the rally, themed “exposing police brutality”.

The activists vowed to defy the AG’s directive and go ahead hold the rally as planned.

Though there was heavy police deployment, the rally, according to deputy police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said the rally will take place provided they stick to set guidelines. The rally is set to take place at midday.

Earlier, Kasangati DPC Tumwesigye said they were under instruction to put Besigye and Ingrid under preventive arrest.

“We are working on orders and ‘it’s our mandate to keep peace. The rallies were banned”, the DPC told journalists at Ingrid’s home.

Ingrid however said they must have the rally as planned. “We will have the rally I urge supporters to come to Kololo because it’s lawful and we are exercising our rights”, she said.

Tight Security

Meanwhile security around Kololo independence grounds has been beefed up. All roads leading to the venue have police teargas trucks parked in the middle. Only pedestrians are allowed to access the venue, and everyone is being subjected to a security check.

Below is the full police statement on banning A4C

UNLAWFUL SOCIETIES ORDER

“Under section 56(2)(c) of the Penal Code Act, Cap.120, Attorney General Hon. Peter Nyombi today (Wednesday the 4th of April 2012) issued a Declaration Of Unlawful Societies Order in respect of Activists for Change (A4C). This statutory order was exercised citing A4C as a society dangerous to peace and order in Uganda.

As the IGP it now befalls on me and the police force to enforce this statutory implement on behalf of the government.

UNLAWFUL SOCIETIES ORDER

“Under section 56(2)(c) of the Penal Code Act, Cap.120, Attorney General Hon. Peter Nyombi today (Wednesday the 4th of April 2012) issued a Declaration Of Unlawful Societies Order in respect of Activists for Change (A4C).

This statutory order was exercised citing A4C as a society dangerous to peace and order in Uganda. As the IGP it now befalls on me and the police force to enforce this statutory implement on behalf of the government.

The police have an obligation to allow groups to exercise their rights and hold lawful rallies as is their constitutional right to do so. However in the past, many rallies organised by groupings and bodies have turned violent when infiltrated by A4C.

The democratic purpose of such rallies has of late been overshadowed by the apparent efforts of the A4C society to use such events to incite civil disobedience and disorder.

A4C have openly called for the overthrowing of Government, openly called on civilians to take arms and turn them against police and government. A4C have used stones and other weapons at these rallies leading to mass injury amongst civilians, journalists and police alike, and most recently loss of life.

The police welcome and will work with opposition parties and other groups that wish to demonstrate as is their constitutional right.

The Attorney General holds a responsibility to redress these unlawful actions in the interest of civil society and under section 56 of the Penal Code is well within his remit to declare the A4C grouping unlawful.

To ignore this violence is simply unacceptable and it would be negligent for the government and for the police to allow this to continue. Let me reiterate that every Ugandan has the right to freedom of lawful assembly and freedom of speech in accordance with the constitution.

It is our responsibility to safeguard the democratic right of all citizens to exercise this right. Responsibility also befalls the media in relation to the reporting of these events. It should not be taken for granted that all rallies are organised by A4C, they simply are not.

Let me again take this opportunity to restate the commitment of police to serve and protect all Ugandans and their constitutional rights”.

IGP LT. Gen Kale Kayihura

A4C Banned, Activity Deemed Criminal

http://redpepper.co.ug/welcome/?p=34516

SOURCE: THE RED PEPPER, 4 APRIL 2012

A4C coordinator Mathias Mpuuga

Kampala Metropolitan Police commander Andrew Felix Kaweesa this afternoon assured A4C members that their activity is criminal, and there will not be any such thing as a rally at Kololo Independence grounds tomorrow.

The police chief delivered the shocking news to Kampala Woman MP Nabilah Sempala; Kawempe Division Mayor Mubarak Munyagwa, Luweero Woman MP Brenda Nabukenya and Muwanga Kivumbi, who had all gathered at Kololo police station to finalise arrangements for a rally tomorrow at the grounds.

AG Bans pressure group

Kaweesi’s revelation came moments after Attorney General Peter Nyombi invoked Section 56 of the Penal Code Act to issue a statutory instrument declaring A4C as “an unlawful society” rendering the group’s activities illegal.

A4C that have been staging anti government rallies around the city, and clashing with police on several occasions, was slated to have a grand finale rally dubbed “International Day against Police Brutality” tomorrow at the Independence Grounds after police boss Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura gave them strict guidelines for the rally.

Efforts to reach MP Mathias Mpuuga, the brain behind the A4C protests were futile as his phone was busy everytime this reporter tried to reach him.

Besigye Leaks M7’s Wealth To Donors

http://redpepper.co.ug/welcome/?p=34481

SOURCE: THE RED PEPPER, 4 APRIL 2012

R-L (Dr.Kiiza Besigye, Ingrid Turinawe and MP Winnie Kiiza, after the meeting at Grand Imperial on Monday 

Opposition icon Kizza Besigye has lifted the lid on President Yoweri Museveni’s riches, leaking his wealth estimated at $1.7bn to donors, Red Pepper has learnt.

In the new political game plan, Besigye and his team are appealing to the International Community to freeze Museveni’s family wealth and that of his top lieutenants.

The latest development puts Museveni among the richest men on the continent, according to the document leaked to www.weloveafricans.com website and the donors by the opposition.

A top source in FDC intimated to us that Besigye strongly believes that Museveni is the 12th richest person in Africa.

According to the website, Museveni’s wealth amounts to $1.7b, followed by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo.

It shows Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo as the richest with $65b, followed by former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi at $56b.
Indeed, when this website first released this report, FDC, through Aswa County MP Regan Okumu, convened a press conference and asked President Museveni to reveal how he acquired his wealth.

Okumu, a top Member of FDC, told a press conference at Najjanankumbi that his party had embarked on an investigation to establish the riches of Museveni and his close family members and that they would reveal their findings at an appropriate time.

Our sources have established that the promise has come to pass. Sources say Besigye and other leaders of the Activists for Change (A4C) have since February this year, with the assistance of  foreign intelligence, been tabling to donors what they allegedly claim to be the wealth of Museveni and members of the First Family, based abroad.

When contacted for a comment last night, the Presidential spokesperson, Tamale Mirundi said Museveni is not a poor man. He said if Museveni was a poor man, how couldn’t have led liberation struggles for 30 years.

“Can any poor man lead a liberation war, let’s begin with FRONASA, this was way before Museveni became president.”

“If the opposition can solve the puzzle of a poor person successfully organising a struggle lasting for many years, then I will start listening to them,” he said.
“There are many websites with a lot of information. It depends on who is controlling the website. Not every information you get on a website is factual. We do not take FDC seriously.

They have nothing to do, so they jump on everything,” he added. Red Pepper has exclusively established that among the other alleged wealth details, Besigye and his team have tabled before the donors, include those of Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, Police Chief Lt.Gen. Kale Kayihura, First Lady Janet Museveni and that of embattled Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa.

The riches saga could send ripples down the spine of the First Family since Museveni has always presented himself as an average wealthy person.

In 2002, Museveni declared his wealth as required by the Leadership Code. At the time he stated that his annual income then was sh48.2m.

He declared that his property included his land at Katonga, Ssembabule district valued at Shs240m, land at Katwe Kambwa in Maddu, Mpigi district valued at Shs59m, residential houses at Rwakitura valued at Shs600m and land at Nyabushozi valued at Shs70m. The President is also quoted to have said he did not have property outside Uganda.

Rating Museveni at that time, according to his declaration, one would take him to be merely Shs969m rich, which is equivalent to $387,600 at the current exchange rate.
However, the new rating of Museveni’s riches at $1.7bn is over 4000 times more than what he declared to the office of the government ombudsman.

BESIGYE HANDS DONORS ANTI-M7 DOSSIER

Meanwhile, Besigye yesterday managed to meet a section of Inter-parliament Union (IPU) delegates and handed them anti-Museveni dossiers.

“We want to give you the real perspective regarding the political situation in Uganda which may not have been given to you at IPU” said Serere Woman MP, Alice Alaso, while addressing  the IPU delegates at Grand Imperial Hotel hours after they had been flashed out of Fairway Hotel.

The meeting was summoned by Besigye in his capacity as FDC president, chairman of the Democratic Union of Africa and as vice chairman of the Inter-Democratic Union (IDU).

In his 10-page dossier titled “Africa’s Democratic Deficit – Uganda Case”, Besigye doesn’t have any kind words for Museveni’s regime.
He asked for two things; foreign intervention into the affairs of Uganda and formation of an international IDU human rights body to monitor and try human rights abusers like what the ICC court does.

“There is need for IDU to form a body that has powers to monitor, issue sanctions against government agents and try those who abuse people’s human rights just like the ICC.

I want also donors to use their powers to influence dictatorial regimes make reforms basing on what people want,” Besigye said.

Besigye wants the international community do this by taking firm and unequivocal stand on regime’s observance of universal human rights and freedoms.

He however, noted that some donor countries have betrayed people by allying with repressive regimes which offer to fight terrorists.

 “It ought to be realised that dysfunctional states are fertile grounds for breeding and disseminating terrorism. While Uganda’s oversized military is being taken advantage of to control terrorists and extremists in Somalia, the Museveni regime is doing exactly the same things that made Somalia a failed state,” said Besigye.

Besigye reiterated that the 2011 political wind in North Africa might spread to Sub-Sahara including Uganda.

He called for immediate reforms including electoral reforms, legal and institutional reforms, dismantling of monstrous patronage systems, decrease in military budget and increase in public sector investment.

“Unfortunately but expectedly, most African countries just like Uganda, respond to mounting popular discontent with increased repression. They reinforce personnel and expenditure of security organisations, police and military. They react with maximum force and brutality to peaceful demonstrations. They enact repressive laws,” he said.

He reported Museveni to the delegates that he wants to bring laws to stop bail for rioters and those who sabotage the economy.
“With absence of credible elections, Uganda like most African countries has no pressure to deliver public goods and services. Instead, a lot of resources are put on escalating patronage system, huge military establishments and propaganda. Corruption is systematic and pervasive,” Besigye said.

He added: “It is a way of life. No leader in Uganda has ever handed over power peacefully. They are all bombed out. The present regime came to power after a five year bush war that butchered half a million people and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure and property. It has been in power for 26 years and Gen. Museveni would makee 30 years in power after this current term.”

Govt now bans A4C group

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1379806/-/awmigaz/-/index.html

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 4 APRIL 2012

A4C national coordinator Mathias Mpuuga has been the brain behind several opposition protests.

The government has moved to criminalise activities of opposition pressure group Activists for Change, Daily Monitor has learnt.

“Its membership is banned, and if they try to form any other group, it will also be deemed as unlawful,” the AG says in the instrument.Attorney General Mr Peter Nyombi has this Wednesday morning invoked Section 56 of the Penal Code Act to issue a statutory instrument that declares A4C as “an unlawful society” rendering the group’s activities illegal.

A4C, whose national coordinator is the Independent opposition leaning MP Mathias Mpuuga has been the brain behind several opposition protests, dubbed Walk-to-Work, in the aftermath of the 2011 general elections.

The AG’s action comes a day after the activists had announced a major rally at Kololo Independence Grounds named “International Day against Police Brutality”.

Mr Mpuuga said the activists would show a one hour film documenting police brutality against the opposition at the rally.

Last week, the Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura issued eight tough guidelines for demonstrations during the Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly ongoing in Kampala, one of which was banning demonstration participants riding motorcycles from parking at Kololo Independence Grounds. He also restricted all demonstrations to the grounds, which have all along been denied the activists.

The statutory instrument

Power conferred to the Attorney General Section 56 (2) (C) in the Penal Code order. The fourth day of April, 2012. Declaration of unlawful societies any society specified in the schedule. This order is to declare to a society dangerous to the peace and order in Uganda. Activists for Change.

Opposition leaders meet IPU delegates; Call for political reforms

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1378514/-/awna40z/-/index.html

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 2 APRIL 2012

FDC leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, who is also the chairperson of the Democratic Union of Africa addressing IPU delegates at Grand Imperial Hotel on Monday.

Opposition leaders on Monday succeeded in gaining audience with delegates attending the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Kampala, and used the opportunity to call for political and economic reforms in the country.

“Most dictators have reached a self-limiting stage with irreconcilable contradictions and conscious citizenly determined to change their destiny. The transition from neo-patrimonial rule to more democratic and stable states is more eminent than ever,” said Dr Besigye, who is also the chairperson of the Democratic Union of Africa.In a stormy informal meeting addressed by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, at Grand Imperial Hotel, and attended by delegates from four countries—Finland, Iceland, Estoria and Sri-lanka—the opposition called upon the international community to take on an active role in assisting African countries avert crises from degenerating into violent confrontations, and to support transition between regimes by restraining governments from using violent repression.

He added;” It is therefore urgent that the international community seizes the moment to support the transition processes by restraining the regimes from the use of violent repression supports these reforms,” Besigye described neo-patrimonial states as states where leaders, realizing they are no longer popular, take advantage of their positions to use state resources to secure loyalty of the population.

Besigye said that what is urgently needed in Uganda are political and economic reforms that can lead to transition and a more open and accountable system of government.

He said five things needed to be fixed urgently: electoral reforms, decreasing public expenditure, dismantling patronage systems, decreasing military expenditure and putting in place legal, institutional and administrative reforms to address pervasive corruption.

The opposition has been reduced to supplying fliers and booklets in an effort to communicate with the delegates, Besigye said, since government denied them a slot on the IPU agenda.
One of the topics up for discussion at the conference which has attracted 1500 delegates from 158 countries is good governance.

Besigye demanded that the IPU puts in place a special body to monitor human rights abuses in Uganda, which he said are on the increase.

“Lately some of our partners have embraced and given succor to vicious dictatorships while ostensibly focused on the legitimate fight against terrorism. While Uganda’s oversized military is being taken advantage of to control tourists and extremists in Somalia, the Museveni regime is doing exactly the same things that made Somalia the failed state it is,” said Dr Besigye.

The opposition leaders were due to address the delegates from Fairway Hotel only to be stopped by the Hotel management at the last minute. Another venue—Grand Imperial Hotel—was communicated on short notice. This led to allegations by the opposition leaders that government was frustrating it’s plans.

“We had organized the meeting in Fairway but state machinery used its patronage to fail us. We have also been informed that this meeting is illegal and that we must stop it,” said Ms Alice Alaso,the Secretary General of FDC. One of the leaders present, FDC’s Jack Sabiiti (Rukiga County), said the country has been militarized .

“Police has been trained to act as an army. If not removed, it is likely to cause more trouble. We need support of other governments and Parliaments to take the message across but we are seated on dangerous grounds where conflict can emerge,” said Sabiiti.

Kampala woman MP Ms Naggayi Nabila said that she was knocked down by a speeding police vehicle while addressing her constituents. “IPU should see reality about Uganda’s Parliament and the democracy in the country. When you are in the opposition, you must ask police for permission to talk to your constituents. We now want to remove the veil so that the delegates can clearly see the true democracy being talked about in the country,” said Ms Nabila.

The delegates, who did not speak to the media, left as soon as the meeting ended.

A4C to hold Rally at Kololo

Police arrest Besigye

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1377308/-/awo10uz/-/index.html

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 1 APRIL 2012

Dr Besigye’s vehicle is towed by a police breakdown truck on Luwum Street, Kampala yesterday. It was taken to Kasangati Police Station. 

IN SUMMARY

The ongoing confrontation between the opposition FDC party leader and the Police yesterday turned into a comical act as his car was towed to Kasangati Police Station with him seated inside.

KAMPALA

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Kizza Besigye was yesterday placed under “preventive arrest” after confrontation with the police turned into a comical act even as a journalist was critically injured reportedly by a police tow vehicle.

A journalist, Ivan Kabbale, of the Nile Broadcasting Services, was according to eyewitnesses knocked down by a police breakdown vehicle that was towing Dr Besigye’s car from the city centre to Kasangati Police Station with Besigye and his political assistant Sam Mugumya seated inside. At Kasangati, Dr Besigye was placed under “preventive arrest”, according to Police Deputy Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba.

Dr Besigye was arrested together with the Kampala Central Woman MP, Ms Naggayi Nabila SSempala, and the FDC chairperson, women’s league, Ms Ingrid Turinawe, whose cars were also towed to Central Police Station.

Ms Nabakooba told Sunday Monitor at CPS yesterday that police had to act fast because they suspected there was a likelihood of breach of peace. Citing Section 24 of the Police Act, Ms Nabakooba said it is the duty of the police to prevent a crime from occurring and people from being injured.

“If you suspect danger, definitely you have to move very fast and arrest the situation. 
We have arrested them and taken them to a lawful place but we shall let them go home if we find no case against them,” said Ms Nabakooba.

Police fear that the Opposition is bent on disrupting the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, the world’s largest meeting of all the parliaments, that officially opened yesterday (Saturday) at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo.

Earlier plans
Last week, Activists for Change leadership promised at a press conference that they would disrupt the IPU proceedings so that their defiance campaign is given audience.
Dr Besigye was detained at Kasangati Police Station while Nabila and Turinawe were briefly held at CPS and later taken to Jinja Road Police Station to record statements.