Police deploy at Lukwago, Besigye homes

By Steven Candia and Juliet Waiswa            |

The police have sealed off the residences of the embattled city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and former FDC president Dr. Kiiza Besigye to forestall chaos in the city in what they termed as preventive deployment.  
 
Police said they had no option but to deploy at the residences of the two opposition politicians in Rubaga division in Kampala and Kasangati in Wakiso district following their alleged insistence to march to city with crowds to access City Hall following a court interim injunction that granted the ousted mayor relief.

The police said the insistence by the opposition politicians coupled with an earlier announcement by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) director, Jennifer Musisi, that City Hall will be closed today (Friday) was a recipe for chaos and mayhem in the city, which they can not allow to happen.

“The deployments are preventive. To prevent un-necessary chaos from occurring in the city,” Ibin Ssenkumbi the Kampala police spokesperson said in a telephone interview.

Police, he said, had deployed because of the latent tensions in the city, sparked by the antagonism by the factions. The Lukwago group, he said, had vowed to access City Hall by all means and had reportedly mobilized huge crowds to make a gallant entry in the city and City Hall in particular, in stark contradiction of Musisi announcement. Attempts to dissuade the opposition politicians from the plans, he said, were in vain thus the deployment.

“We see an aspect of confusion which may lead to the destruction and injury of people. We advised them (opposition) to review their plans and reach an amicable understanding but they insisted so we decided to deploy. Attempts to get comment from Lukwago were futile as his phone was permanently busy.

Sources said police deployed under the cover of darkness and the two politicians woke up to find their movements had been curtailed.  

Justice Yasin Nyanzi of the High Court on Thursday granted Lukwago a temporary injunction against Kampala Capital City authority (KCCA).  In his ruling, Nyanzi said an interim court injunction issued on Monday by acting registrar of the court, Fred Waninda, still stands.

Nyanzi said the interim injunction would be in place until Lukwago’s main application seeking a judicial review of the KCCA tribunal report is determined.

The tribunal headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire had among others, found Lukwago guilty of abuse of office, incompetence and misconduct. The tribunal was constituted by Kampala Minister Frank Tumwebaze, following a petition by 17 councilors.

City Hall remained closed on Friday and inaccessible to the public and the staff following heavy police deployment there. Police deployed heavily both within and outside the Hall, denying any one access even the staff, leaving many members of public desperate and stranded.

Even those trying to access the KCCA clinic for the yellow fever vaccine were denied entry as the KCCA court also remained closed, causing a paralysis. The paralysis in City Hall began to manifest in the city with many roads dirty and littered, having not been swept as garbage skips began to pile up, polluting the atmosphere.

Musisi on Thursday evening after events at the High Court announced that KCCA will be shut down on Friday till further notice, citing threats to technical staff.
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