CID Summons Winnie Today

By Emmy Allio MBARARA Municipality MP Winnie Byanyima has been summoned to the CID headquarters over a statement she made on a Kenya television recently. Acting CID chief Erasmus Opio said yesterday Byanyima was served with summons on Thursday through the National Assembly. He said, "We often summon Members of Parliament through the Speaker to the National Assembly. So, we also served Winnie Byanyima summons through the Speaker." Police sources said Byanyima was wanted over reports that she told KTV that Uganda was arming and training Interahamwe militias to attack Rwanda. The militias are accused of massacring in 1994 at least 800,000 Rwanda Tutsi and moderate Hutu. Opio said, "We had told her (Byanyima)to report to CID headquarters. Maybe the Speaker, Mr. Francis Ayume, had not yet seen her. But since she has arrived, I will remind Ayume about our summons." Assistant commissioner for crime Godfrey Bangirana said, "We served Winnie Byanyima summons on Thursday through her employer, the National Assembly. We had expected her to report to CID headquarters on Friday over what she said in Kenya." Byanyima, wife to Col Kizza Besigye, who is challenging in court the election of President Yoweri Museveni for a second term, reportedly made the remarks on March 31. Byanyima arrive at Entebbe airport from Harare on Saturday and was received by her husband. They sat side-by-side in the VIP Lounge and she often leaned on him. "I'm not a coward. My father told me that being a politician in Africa is a hazard," Byanyima said. Ends