Police seals off City centre over riots
Apr 23, 2007
A joint force of the Police, the army and other security agencies yesterday sealed off the Constitution Square, the Central Police Station (CPS) and the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.
By Vision Reporters
A joint force of the Police, the army and other security agencies yesterday sealed off the Constitution Square, the Central Police Station (CPS) and the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Police sources said the move by the security agencies was to forestall any outbreak of riots relating to the arrest of MPs Erias Lukwago (Kampala Central) and Odonga Otto (Aruu) who were due to reappear at Buganda Road Court to process their bail.
Nine other Democratic Party activists, including former Kampala Central chairperson Charles Sserunjogi, and councillors arrested from a rally in Kisenyi on Saturday were also due to be charged at the Buganda Road Court.
Sources said deployment started at dawn with uniformed Police, the army, the Military Police and other security agencies patrolling the city centre.
“We got intelligence information that the DP youth had a plan to storm court as the MPs appeared to get bail,†the Police said.
They barred the public, including lawyers and journalists, from accessing the CPS and the court. They placed barricades blocking Buganda Road between the East African Development Bank and Kampala Pentecostal Church.
Lumumba Avenue, George Street just behind CPS, the Square which joins Kampala Road and Lumumba Avenue, were also barricaded and a no-go area for pedestrians and motorists.
All businesses on Buganda Road, including the Central Public Health Laboratories, Kampala Medical Chambers and Monga Fashions and Designers, were paralysed. At the Constitution Square there were Police dog-handlers ready for eventualities.
Winnie Byanyima car seized
Winnie Byanyima, the wife of the Forum for Democratic Change President, Col. Kizza Besigye, was caught up in the security ring.
The Police impounded her vehicle and arrested her driver, Asuman Semakula, for allegedly flouting traffic regulations, said the Kampala Extra Police spokesman, Simeo Nsubuga.
Byanyima had gone to the Buganda Road Court to visit Erias Lukwago who is her lawyer. Her vehicle had managed to manoeuvre through the barricades to the court. The Police towed the vehicle from in front of the court to the Central Police Station Escorted by Military Police as Byanyima looked on helplessly.
Byanyima, who currently works for the United Nations in New York, spent about two hours at the CPS as she tried in vain to rescue her driver. Her lawyers David Mpanga and Rwakafuzi were barred from the CPS and stood waiting for hours on Kampala Road.
“The driver defied these orders and used the small gap between the set barriers to drive towards Buganda Road Court but was intercepted a few metres to the court,†said Nsubuga. He also said the vehicle had no third party insurance.
Lukwago and Otto released
In another development, MPS Odonga Otoo and Lukwago were released yesterday morning, but they were not allowed to cross over to the CPS to recover their vehicle.
Otto left on foot with his relatives and friends as Lukwago remained at the court to represent the DP activists who were charged later in the day.
MPs Lukwago and Otto were charged on Friday with failing to comply with traffic rules. Otto was also separately charged with assaulting a Police officer on duty. Magistrate Stella Amabilis remanded them at Luzira Prison as it was too late for them to pay the bail money in the bank.
At the court, Otto alleged that the Division Police commander, Emmanuel Muhairwe, assaulted him during the arrest. The magistrate granted him permission to go for medical examination.
Nine more arrested
Later in the day, at about 4:50pm, nine DP supporters were charged before Grade One Magistrate Susan Kanyange, with unlawful assembly and remanded in Luzira Prison for another hearing today.
They were granted bail of sh50,000 each, but it was too late for them to deposit the bail money in the bank.
They were Charles Sserunjogi, John Mary Ssebuwufu, Moses Kataabu, Church Ambrose Bukenya, Wasswa Ssentamu, Paul Luyombya, David Mutebi, Vincent Matovu and Peter Kizza.
Two charged over riot
Two other people, Ibrahim Kasozi and Robert Kavuma, were also charged for allegedly inciting violence during the recent demonstration against the planned giveaway of Mabira Forest Reserve in which three people were killed. Ibrahim Kasozi and Robert Kavuma were each required to pay sh100, 000.
The prosecutor said Kasozi and Kavuma, during the demonstration at Christ the King Church, carried a placard which stated: “Mabira Murder: Museveni and Amin, where is the difference?â€
By Hillary Nsambu, Chris Kiwawulo, Patrick Jaramogi, Charles Ariko and
Edward Anyoli
A joint force of the Police, the army and other security agencies yesterday sealed off the Constitution Square, the Central Police Station (CPS) and the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Police sources said the move by the security agencies was to forestall any outbreak of riots relating to the arrest of MPs Erias Lukwago (Kampala Central) and Odonga Otto (Aruu) who were due to reappear at Buganda Road Court to process their bail.
Nine other Democratic Party activists, including former Kampala Central chairperson Charles Sserunjogi, and councillors arrested from a rally in Kisenyi on Saturday were also due to be charged at the Buganda Road Court.
Sources said deployment started at dawn with uniformed Police, the army, the Military Police and other security agencies patrolling the city centre.
“We got intelligence information that the DP youth had a plan to storm court as the MPs appeared to get bail,†the Police said.
They barred the public, including lawyers and journalists, from accessing the CPS and the court. They placed barricades blocking Buganda Road between the East African Development Bank and Kampala Pentecostal Church.
Lumumba Avenue, George Street just behind CPS, the Square which joins Kampala Road and Lumumba Avenue, were also barricaded and a no-go area for pedestrians and motorists.
All businesses on Buganda Road, including the Central Public Health Laboratories, Kampala Medical Chambers and Monga Fashions and Designers, were paralysed. At the Constitution Square there were Police dog-handlers ready for eventualities.
Winnie Byanyima car seized
Winnie Byanyima, the wife of the Forum for Democratic Change President, Col. Kizza Besigye, was caught up in the security ring.
The Police impounded her vehicle and arrested her driver, Asuman Semakula, for allegedly flouting traffic regulations, said the Kampala Extra Police spokesman, Simeo Nsubuga.
Byanyima had gone to the Buganda Road Court to visit Erias Lukwago who is her lawyer. Her vehicle had managed to manoeuvre through the barricades to the court. The Police towed the vehicle from in front of the court to the Central Police Station Escorted by Military Police as Byanyima looked on helplessly.
Byanyima, who currently works for the United Nations in New York, spent about two hours at the CPS as she tried in vain to rescue her driver. Her lawyers David Mpanga and Rwakafuzi were barred from the CPS and stood waiting for hours on Kampala Road.
“The driver defied these orders and used the small gap between the set barriers to drive towards Buganda Road Court but was intercepted a few metres to the court,†said Nsubuga. He also said the vehicle had no third party insurance.
Lukwago and Otto released
In another development, MPS Odonga Otoo and Lukwago were released yesterday morning, but they were not allowed to cross over to the CPS to recover their vehicle.
Otto left on foot with his relatives and friends as Lukwago remained at the court to represent the DP activists who were charged later in the day.
MPs Lukwago and Otto were charged on Friday with failing to comply with traffic rules. Otto was also separately charged with assaulting a Police officer on duty. Magistrate Stella Amabilis remanded them at Luzira Prison as it was too late for them to pay the bail money in the bank.
At the court, Otto alleged that the Division Police commander, Emmanuel Muhairwe, assaulted him during the arrest. The magistrate granted him permission to go for medical examination.
Nine more arrested
Later in the day, at about 4:50pm, nine DP supporters were charged before Grade One Magistrate Susan Kanyange, with unlawful assembly and remanded in Luzira Prison for another hearing today.
They were granted bail of sh50,000 each, but it was too late for them to deposit the bail money in the bank.
They were Charles Sserunjogi, John Mary Ssebuwufu, Moses Kataabu, Church Ambrose Bukenya, Wasswa Ssentamu, Paul Luyombya, David Mutebi, Vincent Matovu and Peter Kizza.
Two charged over riot
Two other people, Ibrahim Kasozi and Robert Kavuma, were also charged for allegedly inciting violence during the recent demonstration against the planned giveaway of Mabira Forest Reserve in which three people were killed. Ibrahim Kasozi and Robert Kavuma were each required to pay sh100, 000.
The prosecutor said Kasozi and Kavuma, during the demonstration at Christ the King Church, carried a placard which stated: “Mabira Murder: Museveni and Amin, where is the difference?â€
By Hillary Nsambu, Chris Kiwawulo, Patrick Jaramogi, Charles Ariko and
Edward Anyoli