Amama still in detention

By Charles Etukuri and Simon Masaba

FORMER Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has finished recording a statement at Kiira Road Police Station but still remains in detention. 

Police clarified that they had not yet given him a bond contrary to claims by his family members.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga clarified that Mbabazi is still under police detention and that a decision on whether to release or lock him up would only be determined after a statement had been recorded and a meeting by police to review.

Enanga said they arrested Mbabazi after he disobeyed lawful orders from a police officer.   

“We had to stop him in Njeru this morning and record a statement from him after he disobeyed a lawful order from a uniformed officer. 

A police officer in full uniform stopped him from proceeding to Mbale for his meetings which were declared illegal by his party and the Electoral Commission which has the mandate to clear all aspiring candidates including those going for consultations but when the officer asked him to go back to Kampala he insisted and that was why we arrested him,” he said.

Enanga said they were recording statement from him to determine what charge they would place against him.  

“It is not true that we have given him a bond. He is still with us and we shall only determine whether to grant him bond after consulting,” he said.

Police sources however said the police had preferred a charge of disobeying lawful orders. 

Mbabazi’s lawyer Friday Kagoro confirmed that his client had recorded a statement of disobeying lawful orders after encountering police led by Director of Police Operations Felix Kaweesi at Njeru.

Earlier on, Mbabazi daughter Nina Rukikaire posted that the Kiira Road Police station had granted his father a bond. 

“Amama Mbabazi has been given bond and released. The crime, we don't know as Enanga says that it was preventative arrest,” Nina said.

She wondered why police gave his father a bond yet with preventative arrest, there was no crime so no need for bond.

“Someone forgot to explain that simple issue to Enanga before sending him out to read prepared statements,” Rukikaire said.

Enanga however said that these were part of the forgeries the Amama’s team was coming up with to try and woo the public.

Mbabazi was arrested on Thursday morning as he set off to Mbale to consult the National Resistance Movement delegates as he seeks to campaigns to become the party’s flag bearer.

His bid however has received opposition from his NRM party, Electoral Commission and the Police which all declared his meetings illegal.