Mathias Mpuga, Coordinator of 4GC, formers Activists for Change

Mpuuga says that to the consternation of 4GC, the budget was largely anti people and anti development necessitating more activism.

He says that the notion that political and social agitation is now irrelevant because the conditions have ‘improved’; that inflation is down, load shedding has reduced, economy is growing steadily is a lie. Mpuuga adds that the economy has not improved and the ministry of finance is using cooked up figures.
“Schools are half empty all over the country. The budget does not have any provision for lunch in primary schools and expenditure on education is minimal. Children have been sent home, they have not cleared their fees. Electricity is prohibitively expensive, now there is even VAT on water. Health facilities are completely broken down and the country is in a health crisis. Businesses are closing down every single day. People are losing their property mortgaged to banks due to the prohibitive interest rates coupled with an uncertain environment,” he explains.

President Museveni in his state of the nation address recently congratulated the Inspector General of Police, Lt.Gen Kale Kayihura on crushing A4C/4GC protests. But with the resurrection of A4C/4GC activities, Ugandans are waiting to see between the government and the opposition who will have the last laugh.

Mpuuga also alleges that Museveni and KCCA’s Jennifer Musisi are systematically and discriminatively eliminating poor people who have been making their livelihoods in Kampala, in the guise of keeping the city clean, without offering tangible alternatives for their survival. This inhuman and senseless attack on the poor people will soon be a recipe for disaster. We are also aware that it’s a disguised security operation supposedly to prevent a Tahrir style uprising in Kampala and has nothing to do with making Kampala better. He says 4GC will not allow this and they will struggle alongside their people to ensure that their livelihoods are not threatened.

The 4GC coordinator also laments that corruption is still a cancer to the NRM regime and institutions and that KCCA is now a conduit and theatre of corruption, with huge sums of money inexplicably withdrawn from KCCA accounts on an occasional basis.
The MP also adds that “many Ugandans, especially the youths are wallowing in abject poverty and unemployment. The politically initiated youth fund has been undermined by unrealistic and bogus access conditions. The fund is also an exclusive preserve for NRM cadres intended to financially empower them at the expense of other Ugandans. Institutions such as KCCA that had originally been mandated to manage it are corrupt and inept. We there fore enjoin the youths of this country to stand up against such forms of deprivation, discrimination and neglect so that they redeem their image and that of the future generation. The recent research findings that change of the regime is not possible through elections under the current electoral system of a state sponsored Electoral commission was an obvious statement because Ugandans now have no confidence in the electoral system. We shall continue to agitate for the disbandment of the EC, reform of electoral laws to restore the confidence of the people in electoral democracy. Only this will save the country from plunging into violence again”.

Mpuuga says that the land in Uganda is systematically being grabbed by Museveni and his cronies in all parts of the country. The poor are being displaced and dispossessed in the name of fake investors, who are in factual fact Museveni’s fronts for exploitation. In Bunyoro kingdom, he says, the land grabbing has reached alarming proportions. In Karamoja, land with immense mineral resources is being grabbed reportedly using Janet Museveni who was strategically made minister for Karamoja.
“We the 4GC and A4C we are therefore resuming our nationwide activities to sensitize the masses about the immense and enormous maladministration, corruption, nepotism, political and economic injustices among other issues. We will be having activities in Kampala and eventually move to other parts of the country starting with Western Uganda, and the detailed program shall be availed in due course. We will not be deterred in our activities and we will challenge any maneuvers aimed at denying our fundamental rights and freedoms. We have indeed petitioned the constitutional court challenging the illegal ban of A4C and 4GC, and we will continue to challenge other obnoxious and archaic laws,” Mpuuga threatens.

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Kayihura says that the organisers of walk to work campaigns (A4C) in the first case did not comply with the 1995 Constitution of the Republic ofUganda. Kayihura says the police received solid intelligence evidence that the walk to work protests was designed to start on a peaceful note but later turn violent and cause bodily harm on the people who would have shunned the campaign.

The inspector general further says that the coordinator of walk to work protests Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga notified the Police late “considering the time required to prepare for such an event,” and that Mpuuga had concealed the A4C programme.

Kayihura says that the concealment of the A4C agenda meant that the organisers of walk to work protests had ill intentions. Kayihura says that the Uganda Police under Article 212 has a duty to protect life and property, ensure law and order, prevent and detect crime.

Kayihura also says that the police drew lessons from previous experiences of the walk-to-work demonstrations which ended up in violent riots where roads were blocked, cars stoned and other property damaged as well as loss of lives.

The police boss further says that the organisers of walk to work protests did not indicate the specific location and times of their intended protests, in addition to obtaining clearance from the custodian of the premises they intended to use for their event.

The organisers of walk to work protests had given police the location of their protests as ‘countrywide’, which made it impractical for Police to secure their activities, and they did not confirm whether the custodian of Kololo Airstrip (Office of the President) had cleared them to use the grounds for the A4C rally on 22nd October, 2011.

By Walakira Nyanzi

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Nyakahuma also says the opposition wants to create protests to disrupt the swearing in of re-elected President Yoweri Museveni on May 12^th.

The opposition leaning Activists for Change has organized walk to work protests every Monday and Thursday of the week to protest against the high prices of food, fuel and other essential commodities.

In a press statement Nyakahuma calls upon the people to remain calm as the NRM government together with its development partner is working around the clock to address the economic crisis which they said is a global concern that needs consorted effort to overcome.

Nyakahuma further appealed the people to take advantage of the rains and political stability in the region to produce enough food for domestic consumption and selling in a bid to improve their household income rather than engaging in protests.

Ultimate Media

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Nobert Mao DP Presidint

This follows reports of the killing of two men by alleged army officers who found them in their home near Layibi market where they work and shot them on suspicion they had been involved in the walk to work demonstration.

The 4^th Division Spokesperson, Capt. Moses Mugisha says the army has launched investigations into the incident and if any of its officers are found to have shot the civilians, the guilty officers will be court marshaled.

The Gulu District Police Commander, Moses Muluya says the police called in reinforcements of the army after residents in Gulu became rowdy, but it is not clear who shot the two residents.

The people in Gulu became rowdy after Democratic party President Nobert Mao who led the walkers in Gulu on Thursday was arrested and taken away by police after finding him walking. Mao had been arrested for the same three days before in Ntinda, Kampala. He was released on bail after being charged with inciting violence and demonstrating without police permission.

Ultimate Media

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DP president, Nobert Mao

DP President Nobert Mao said they were arrested while walking individually to their places of work, detained for long hours and presented before court after working hours (after 5pm), which Mao says contravenes the constitution.

He says the actions of the police were illegal and uncalled for since the people walking to their places of work did not present a threat to anyone.

Mao told journalists in Kampala today that the police and the ruling National Resistance Movement government have decided to brand the opposition as lumpens and every time the opposition talks of a demonstration, the police stops the demonstration on allegations that the opposition will disrupt business and lead to stealing of people’s property.

Mao says the government must respect the rights and freedoms of Ugandans to move and to demonstrate over any issue they are not comfortable about.

The police on Monday arrested former presidential candidates Mao, Forum for Democratic Change President Dr. Kizza Besigye and other top opposition politicians who were caught walking to their places of work as the opposition begun their walk to work protests against the rising cost of living in Uganda.

Ultimate Media

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