Rtd Gen. Mugisha Muntu

Rtd Gen. Mugisha Muntu lost to Amuriat as president of The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) on Friday evening during the 7th National Delegates Conference at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

The incumbent, Muntu was facing off with Patrick Amuriat Oboi (former Kumi CountyMember of Parliament), Malcom Dan Matsiko (former FDC youth leader and mobiliser) and Moses Byamugisha

The party top leadership has been divided between the top two candidates, with the former party presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, party secretary general Nandala Mafabi and Joyce Ssebugwawo supporting Amuriat while others such as Ssemujju, Amanya Mushega, Alaso, Maj. John Kazoora and Wandera Ogalo back Muntu.

ALSO READ:FDC decides on next party president today

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Ugandan opposition candidate Kizza Besigye

Dr. Kizza Besigye, the embattled former 2016 Presidential Candidate has today received a response from the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) 7 months after he lodged a complaint on 11^th March of unlawful arrest by policemen while attending a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) meeting at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi.

In its response to Besigye, UHRC contends that the allegations by the complainant if proved constitute violation of his rights to personal liberty, freedom from torture and cruel inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, privacy, property, fair hearing, freedom of conscience, expression, movement, assembly and association and economic rights contrary to Articles, 23, 24, 26,27,29,40 and 44 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995.

“Be informed that the matter has been set down for hearing against the Attorney General’s office in its vicarious capacity and we shall duly notify you of the hearing date,” reads a statement from the Uganda Human Rights Commission that was posted on Besigye’s official Facebook page.

The letter that was signed by G.T. Mwesigye, the Secretary UHRC and copied to the Chairperson UHRC, Med S.K Kaggwa and the Regional Human Rights Officer, Central Asiimwe Wilfred.

According to the complaint that Besigye raised to the Commission earlier this year, he alleges that the Police unlawfully arrested him while he attended a party meeting at Nagalama Police station.

The Police said at the time that the 4 time opponent to President Yoweri Museveni was holding an illegal meeting and was a therefore a national security threat.

However, Besigye says he was forcefully taken to police cells and later driven to his home without his property which had been taken from him and recorded on acknowledgement of Prisoners Property slip.

Besigye further  alleges that at the time of filling his complaint, he had been subjected to numerous arrests by Police whenever he tried to leave his home and was detained at various Police stations including; Kasangati, Kiira road Police, Division Headquarters, Nagalama and was eventually subjected to house arrest.

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Dr. Kizza Besigye the former presidential candidate in the 2016 general elections.

The Forum for Democratic Change former Presidential Candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye has opposed plans of having a national dialogue spearheaded by the Inter -Religious Council of Uganda.

The inter-religious council on Wednesday of last week announced that the National Dialogue which shall include, Dr Kizza Besigye, President Yoweri Museveni and all other leaders who are committed reconciliation is expected to take place in the first week of October.

The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda is a body that brings together the different religious faiths in the country to advocate for various issues that affect society.

While addressing journalists at his home in Kasagati on Monday, Besigye said he is not satisfied with the whole process under which the dialogue is being organized since he was not even informed about it and its exact date.

Besigye said that after 2016 elections, as opposition leaders, they have agreed that before any dialogue takes place, four issues should first be agreed upon such as; the agenda of the meeting, who convenes and moderates the dialogue, clear understanding of how the decisions will be implemented and who is part of the dialogue.

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Kayihura has thus sent, Abbas Byakagaba together with his deputy Stephen Tanui to Senior Command and Staff College as Commandant and Deputy respectively.

Byakagaba will be replaced by Frank Mwesigwa the commandant of Police Training School-Kabalye in Masindi district .He will be deputized by Ezekiel Emitu who has also been his deputy.

Deputy Police spokesperson, Polly Namaye, confirmed the new developments but downplayed the cause of transfers of the officer saying ‘it’s a normal police deployment’.

Police officers aboard their patrol can seen lashing sticks at residents standing along Entebbe road.

The has been a public outcry especially on social media with many calling for the resignation of the police which over what they called gross violations of human rights. The police beating happened when former presidential candidate had been granted bail by the High Court two weeks ago. Video footages showed police officers aboard their vehicles lashing at people standing along the roadsides as they waved to Besigye’s convoy.

Two law firms have also filled cases in courts against Kayihura about the same matter.

This move by the Kayihura has also affected are some senior officers accused of who were arrigned in a Police disciplinary court over the same matter and those facing other offences.

This includes Andrew Kaggwa, who has been the commander of Kampala Metropolitan Police South pending conclusion of the disciplinary proceedings against him for brutality and hence tainting the image of the force.

Others are Samuel Bamuzibire, the KMP Field Force Unit commander; Moses Nanoka, the Wandegeya Division police commander; and Patrick Muhumuza, the KMP South operations commander, over the same issue. Aaron Baguma, the commander of Kampala Central Police Station, has also been removed and replaced by Joseph Bakaleke. The Director of Public Prosecutions sanctioned murder charges of Donah Betty Katushabe against Baguma.

In the same message,Moses Kafeero, who has been the commandant of Senior Command and Staff College has been sent to Rwanda for a course.Michael Mugabi, who has been on a course, is now the commandant of Police Training School-Kabalye Masindi District.

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Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi MP for Butambala County and Opposition Shadow Minister for Internal Affairs called on Parliament to punish the IGP for his acts.

In a motion moved by the opposition shadow minister for Internal Affairs, Mohammed Muwanga Kivumbi, the MP said it was vital for Parliament to debate the unacceptable conduct of Police in the recent weeks.

He told parliament that notorious police officers are beating up people instead of punishing them and that this officers end up being promoted.

Kivumbi said the IGP should be held accountable for issuing out orders of canning civilians and asked parliament to find a way of disciplining him.

The MP also claimed that there are 21 militia groups in Kampala mentored and fed by the police force and hence called for an intervention to stop such criminality among the force.

Kayihura has in the past weeks come under a lot of criticism for supporting police’s actions in canning supporters of Dr. Kizza Besigye along Entebbe road and Kasangati following the High Court decision to grant him bail.

The Member of Parliament for Ndorwa East County, Wilfred Niwagaba proposed that the Police Act be amended so that police officers who seize to be of good character leave the police force.

However while responding to the queries by MPs, the minister of state for Internal, Affairs Obiga Kanya admitted that some police officers conducted themselves in unprofessional behavior and advised police not to ‘sin’ again.

He added that nobody will use police to advance his or her selfish agenda.

Another member of parliament for Katerera County, Rubirizi district, Atwib Katoto warned leaders against provoking and undermining the police orders.

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Dr Kizza Besigye

I have been voting for Dr. Kiizza Besigye ever since 2001 when he started contesting for the Uganda Presidential Elections. I never liked him because he is was a Medical Doctor, Westerner like me or because he was a high ranking military official at the rank of a Colonel. My reason for liking him is very simple, “he is terribly a honest man” and has the best vision for Uganda manifested through his consistent political actions over the years.

Dr Kiiza Besigye comes from a very wealthy family, his father [Kifefe] was a very rich business man in Rukungiri District during those days [owning a petrol station in Rukungiri Town]. In addition, Besigye was one of the bright minds at the time who went on to pursue a Bachelors Degree of Medicine & Surgery at the prestigious Makerere University, Kampala [by that time – even today – medicine was for the brightest minds in the country]. After his studies, Besigye went to work as a medical Doctor at Agha Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya which is one of the best health facilities in the world at a time when medical education was highly prized and medical Doctors were in short supply.

He never stopped at that, he left the comfort of his well paying job at Agha Khan Hospital in Nairobi in the early 1980’s to join Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the Bush and liberate the country from a dictatorship of Obote II.

In 1999, as a high ranking military official, he openly broke ranks with President Museveni for diverting from the core objectives that took them to the gruelling 5 year bush war that left an enormous destruction on people’s property and caused an enormous loss of life to the country. Since then, he has sustained the struggle against the Museveni dictatorship, not on personal hatred as some people would like to assume but on principle.

FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye during his arrest by police in Kampala, 2011

Despite his status, he has constantly suffered enormous public humiliations at the hands of a brutal regime through constant arrests and torture but remained on track.

I had spent long without meeting him physically, but recently on his campaign trail in Western Uganda, I had an opportunity to have a long chat with him at Travelers Inn Hotel, Fort Portal on 15th December, 2015 at night.Together, with the District Executive headed by Ms. Nyakato Rusoke and the national FDC campaign team including FDC President, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Ms. Ingrid Turinawe, Hon. Nzou Stephen (MP) and the Rukungiri Municipality MP among others we discussed wide ranging issues like the progress of the 2016 campaign, FDC manifesto among others.

I would like to thank the people of Madi county & Terego for coming out in big numbers at all our 7 rallies. pic.twitter.com/wjIPbd5qIZ

— Kifefe Kizza-Besigye (@kizzabesigye1) December 29, 2015

Dr. Besigye was still the same person I met in 2011 with the same zeal and determination to liberate the country from dictatorship and create opportunities for Ugandans.

The writer is the FDC Power 10 Deputy Coordinator – Kabarole District, FDC Secretary General – Fort Portal Municipality, Former MP Candidate – FDC, Fort Portal Municipality. The writer also teaches Journalism & Mass Communications at Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal.

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Dr. Kizza Besigye at a rally

Former FDC president Dr. Kizza Besigye has handed in his nomination forms and been nominated to contest for the party presidential flag bearer. Chairing the nomination committee, Maj. Mugarura has accepted the papers of their former party boss and declared him a candidate for the post.  Besigye was handed the party constitution and agenda to follow as he was seconded by Hon. Ekanya Geoffrey, Jack Sabbiti, Odo Tayebwa, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo and others.

Speaking on behalf of Dr. Besigye, Hon. Ekanya thanked the supporters as he assured the nation that he still carries on the electoral reforms campaign as the party also exhibits party democracy. Ekanya also added that they are to take legal action against the errant police officer, one Asimwe who shot the supporters.

The party polls commission chair, Mugarura asked candidates to follow party campaign rules in the two months campaign.

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UN Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a statement in which she described the use of force as disproportionate and said they were impinging on the key freedoms of ordinary Ugandans.

Ms. Pillay drew attention to the case of Kizza Besigye, the opposition leader who has been arrested four times in the past three weeks, shot in the hand on one occasion and reportedly not fully recovered his sight after being hit by pepper spray at point-blank range on Thursday in Kampala, the capital.

“The manner of Dr. Besigye’s arrest on Thursday was shocking,” she said. “The excessive use of force by security officers was plain to see in the television footage of the event. While I do not condone the violent rioting that followed, the Ugandan authorities must realize that their own actions have been the major factor in turning what were originally peaceful protests about escalating food and fuel prices into a national crisis.”

Uganda’s police force and the People’s Defence Force have indiscriminately used live bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray against demonstrators since the so-called ‘Walk to Work’ protests began on 11 April, and even sometimes against individuals not involved in the protests, according to information compiled by Ms. Pillay’s office.

Tear gas has also been fired into schools, health-care centres and homes, the Uganda Human Rights Commission reported.

“Many of these actions clearly constitute disproportionate and excessive use of force. Eight people have now lost their lives, including a two-year-old girl allegedly shot by a member of the security forces.”

More than 250 others, including many children and pregnant women, have been hospitalized because of tear gas inhalation or injuries caused by live ammunition, rubber bullets or severe beatings. Another 580 have been arrested across the country.

“The intervention of the security forces has resulted in infringements of the rights to life, liberty and security of the person, as well as of the freedoms of association, assembly and expression,” Ms. Pillay noted. “In addition, the manner and motivation of the arrests and criminal charges against Dr. Besigye and other opposition leaders raise particular concerns.”

The High Commissioner welcomed the stated intention of the Ugandan Government to begin dialogue with opposition leaders and said it should address “the legitimate concerns and demands of the population” about rising costs of living and broadening the political space.

The Government has offered compensation to some of the victims or their relatives and Ms. Pillay stressed that the compensation must be proportionate to the damage suffered.

Further protests are planned to take place on Monday, and Ms. Pillay urged authorities to “refrain from any further disproportionate use of force and to ensure respect for the people’s rights to freedom of assembly and expression in accordance with Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and its international obligations.”

She also called on the Government to conduct thorough, prompt and impartial investigations into the human rights violations carried out by the country’s security forces.

UN News Service

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The police Thursday morning stopped Forum for Democratic Change President Dr. Kizza besigye from walking to his offices in Najanankumbi at Kasangati, a few kilometers from his residence.

The President of opposition Justice Forum, Asuman Basalirwa his predecessor Muhammad Kibirige Mayanja are reportedly being detained at Kawempe Police Station after they were arrested walking to their place of work.

Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd of opposition supporters who gathered around Dr. Besigye after the police blocked him and he dived into a road trench.

Five pupils of Tender Talent Magnet School and two adults in Kasangati, a Kampala suburb were rushed to hospital this morning after they fainted due to tear gas.

The police last evening again warned the opposition against the walk to work protests, calling them illegal since the organizers did “not notify the police”.

“Where the minimum requirements are in place and have not been complied with, the Police will not allow that demonstration to happen,” Asan Kasingye told journalists.

Kizza Besigye being arrested

But Besigye speaking from the road trench today insisted no one needs to ask for permission to walk to their place of work and it is ridiculous for the police to deploy heavily to stop people who have decided to walk to their respective places of work.

He said the opposition is just trying to identify with many Uganda who can no longer afford basic commodities including food and transport due to rising prices of fuel and commodities. Besigye says the government must act on people’s concerns instead of threatening them with military deployments.

The walk to work protests are organized by Action-for-Change, an opposition leaning non party pressure group and first occurred on Monday in which police arrested and charged Besigye, Democratic party President Nobert Mao and several opposition politicians.

Local and International human rights groups and governments including the United States and the United Kingdom have condemned the blocking of the opposition demonstration but the Uganda security forces seem not to be heeding to any such reactions.

We have created a live feed for immediate live updates from our reporters in the field and from other eye witnesses or concerned Uganda via twitter. The Hashtags are #Uganda protest #Walk2Work, #Kizza Besigye, #Uganda news

Feel free to ask any question or comment.

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This follows a declaration by opposition leaders in Uganda who called for peaceful protests against the victory of incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement who was declared winner by the electoral commission with 68% of the vote.

Addressing journalists in Kampala today, Forum for Democratic Change candidate, Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, Nobert Mao of the Democratic Party and Olara Otunu of the Uganda People’s Congress said Museveni’s NRM had rigged the 2011 elections with the help of the current electoral commission.

“The time is now for people of Uganda to rise and peacefully protest the outcome of the 2011 elections, and to demand that no further elections are held by the current electoral commission,” Dr. Besigye said, referring to the Dr. Badru Kiggundu led Electoral Commission as incompetent.

Besigye speaking after delivery of a joint statement by the opposition leaders said all elections organized by the Electoral Commission have been rigged in favour of the NRM.

Nobert Mao DP Presidential Candidate

But the Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said the police will not allow the protests since the situation is already volatile and might explode into violence.

The Spokesperson of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye warned the opposition of harsh treatment if they dare go on streets to protest election results.

He says those aggrieved by the elections results should report their grievances to courts of law which will hear their case and dispense justice.

Besigye has said he will not go to court over electoral malpractices again, and he is now resorting to organizing public protests hoping to get the success of Tunisians and Egyptians where long serving leaders were recently ousted by protesters.

Besigye has gone to the supreme court in 2001 and 2006 when he lost to President Museveni but the on both incidences the Supreme Court ruled by a simple majority that while there were irregularities and the elections were not free and fair, the irregularities did not substantially affect the election results.

Such a ruling is even more imminent in the 2011 case where the margin between President Museveni and the closest challenger is bigger than on previous elections, with Museveni at 68% while Besigye got 26%. In 2006, Museveni got 59% to Besigye’s 39%, while in 2001; Museveni got 65% to Besigye’s 21%.

But the coming days and not history will determine the political future of Uganda where the opposition seem increasingly dissatisfied with the elections process. All the other seven Presidential candidates have refused to recognize Museveni as the winner and all claim the elections were marred by irregularities, vote buying and intimidation by the NRM.

Ultimate Media

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