Posters not compulsory

KAMPALA CITY Council has clarified that property owners are not legally obliged to allow posters to be stuck on their buildings. However the Town Clerk said that presidential candidates are free to put up their posters in public places. He was reacting to last week's arrest of an Asian businessman Kassim Virgi who had removed posters of presidential candidate Kizza Besigye from his premises in central Kampala. He was arrested by the police who have now put him on police bond pending investigations into whether he was acting 'maliciously'. KCC is right. It would be absurd if property owners were not allowed to decide whether posters could or could not be stuck on their buildings. It is against the rules for presidential candidates to tear down the posters of their rivals but it should have been obvious to the police that Virgi was not a member of the Museveni task force. It is ridiculous that the police are still keeping Virgi on police bond until they decide whether he was acting 'maliciously'. Even if Virgi was a supporter of Museveni or Awori, he should be allowed to remove a poster of Besigye from the wall of his shop. If he wants, he should also be allowed to have only posters of Museveni, or Awori, or whoever, on his wall. Freedom of speech and expression permits everyone in Uganda to freely state their views. Virgi should be able to support without fear of victimisation any presidential candidate that he wants, or none at all. Virgi should be allowed to put whatever posters he wants on his building, or no posters at all, whichever he prefers. The Police has infringed Virgi's basic human rights by arresting him. The Police should lift the police bond immediately. Ends.