MPs held over Mabira demo
Apr 16, 2007
Opposition MPs Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye West) and Beatrice Anywar Atim (Kitgum woman MP), spent last night in Police cells after being interrogated for six hours in connection with Thursday’s demonstration, which was marred with racial violence.
By Vision Reporters
Opposition MPs Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye West) and Beatrice Anywar Atim (Kitgum woman MP), spent last night in Police cells after being interrogated for six hours in connection with Thursday’s demonstration, which was marred with racial violence.
The MPs were detained with 30 other suspects at the Central Police Station in Kampala.
Police spokesperson Asan Kasingye told the press that the legislators could be charged with several offences, including terrorism and murder.
Both are capital offences which
carry a maximum sentence of death by hanging. Other possible charges they face are riotous assembly, shop-breaking and theft, assault, malicious damage to property and inciting violence, the Police said.
Two more people were arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the violence: Frank Mulamuzi, the chairman of the Save Mabira Crusade, and Church Ambrose Bukenya, a member of the Uganda Young Democrats.
Earlier, on Friday, the Police arrested the vice-president of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde and the spokesman for the traders association, KACITA, Issa Ssekito.
The Police said the suspects could not appear in court yesterday because it was too late. The other reason was that a joint file, which was earlier submitted to the director of public prosecution, had not been returned to the Police.
The two MPs voluntarily walked from the Parliament building to the CID headquarters yesterday morning, following Police summons. They were accompanied by their lawyers, Abdu Katuntu and Yusuf Nsibambi.
After a one-hour briefing by the deputy director CID, Okoth Ochola, the MPs were taken in a Police pick-up to the Central Police Station for interrogation, which lasted most of the day.
Also present at the briefing were the commissioner for crime, Edison Mbiringi and the head of the terrorism squad, Elly Womanya.
The opposition FDC has protested the arrest of the MPs, calling it a calculated move by the Government to intimidate the opposition. “What type of government is this which sends troops to an MP’s home at night?†asked spokesman Wafula Oguttu. “The answer is intimidation because this is a rogue government that believes in intimidating those opposing it.â€
He attributed the death of the Asian to the growing discontent within the population, caused by government policies which favour Asian investors.
“We believe that policies giving Asian investors tax holidays, hard cash, free land and forests have set a bad precedent. Ugandans look at Asian investors as more important than local ones,†Oguttu said.
He stressed that the organisers of the demonstration did not commission violence. It should have been the responsibility of the Police to march with the demonstrators, he charged.
Meanwhile, John Ken Lukyamuzi, the leader of the Conservative Party, reportedly went missing.
His daughter and Rubaga South MP, Susan Nampijja, claimed plain-clothes security personnel picked him from his home in Wankulukuku, a city suburb, on Sunday evening, and his phone has been off since. “He called me at 5:00pm and said unknown people had surrounded his home. I announced this on Simbawo akati radio talk-show. That was the last time I talked to him,†she said at a press conference at Rock Gardens, Kampala.
Nampijja claimed she went to her father’s home, only to find two vehicles parked and armed men patrolling the place.
“We have no idea where he is. He could be confined in one of the safe houses,†she said.
She claimed her father was being persecuted for his participation in Thursday’s demonstration as well as for declaring his intention to stand for the 2011 presidential elections.
“The Government is supposed to protect its citizens and their properties. If we fail to find Lukyamuzi in two days, we will sue the Government,†she threatened.
The Police said they had not arrested Lukyamuzi but were looking for him. “He is not in our custody. But we advise him, wherever he is, to come forward and tell us his side of the story,†said Kampala Police spokesman Simeo Nsubuga.
The Police added that Lukymuzi called a Kampala radio station yesterday, hinting that he was in hiding. “We have the recording. He said he would only avail himself if called by the Inspector General of Police,†said Kasingye.
(By Steven Candia, Joel Ogwang, Herbert Sempogo, Apollo Mubiru,
Edward Anyoli and Charles Ariko)
Opposition MPs Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye West) and Beatrice Anywar Atim (Kitgum woman MP), spent last night in Police cells after being interrogated for six hours in connection with Thursday’s demonstration, which was marred with racial violence.
The MPs were detained with 30 other suspects at the Central Police Station in Kampala.
Police spokesperson Asan Kasingye told the press that the legislators could be charged with several offences, including terrorism and murder.
Both are capital offences which
carry a maximum sentence of death by hanging. Other possible charges they face are riotous assembly, shop-breaking and theft, assault, malicious damage to property and inciting violence, the Police said.
Two more people were arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the violence: Frank Mulamuzi, the chairman of the Save Mabira Crusade, and Church Ambrose Bukenya, a member of the Uganda Young Democrats.
Earlier, on Friday, the Police arrested the vice-president of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde and the spokesman for the traders association, KACITA, Issa Ssekito.
The Police said the suspects could not appear in court yesterday because it was too late. The other reason was that a joint file, which was earlier submitted to the director of public prosecution, had not been returned to the Police.
The two MPs voluntarily walked from the Parliament building to the CID headquarters yesterday morning, following Police summons. They were accompanied by their lawyers, Abdu Katuntu and Yusuf Nsibambi.
After a one-hour briefing by the deputy director CID, Okoth Ochola, the MPs were taken in a Police pick-up to the Central Police Station for interrogation, which lasted most of the day.
Also present at the briefing were the commissioner for crime, Edison Mbiringi and the head of the terrorism squad, Elly Womanya.
The opposition FDC has protested the arrest of the MPs, calling it a calculated move by the Government to intimidate the opposition. “What type of government is this which sends troops to an MP’s home at night?†asked spokesman Wafula Oguttu. “The answer is intimidation because this is a rogue government that believes in intimidating those opposing it.â€
He attributed the death of the Asian to the growing discontent within the population, caused by government policies which favour Asian investors.
“We believe that policies giving Asian investors tax holidays, hard cash, free land and forests have set a bad precedent. Ugandans look at Asian investors as more important than local ones,†Oguttu said.
He stressed that the organisers of the demonstration did not commission violence. It should have been the responsibility of the Police to march with the demonstrators, he charged.
Meanwhile, John Ken Lukyamuzi, the leader of the Conservative Party, reportedly went missing.
His daughter and Rubaga South MP, Susan Nampijja, claimed plain-clothes security personnel picked him from his home in Wankulukuku, a city suburb, on Sunday evening, and his phone has been off since. “He called me at 5:00pm and said unknown people had surrounded his home. I announced this on Simbawo akati radio talk-show. That was the last time I talked to him,†she said at a press conference at Rock Gardens, Kampala.
Nampijja claimed she went to her father’s home, only to find two vehicles parked and armed men patrolling the place.
“We have no idea where he is. He could be confined in one of the safe houses,†she said.
She claimed her father was being persecuted for his participation in Thursday’s demonstration as well as for declaring his intention to stand for the 2011 presidential elections.
“The Government is supposed to protect its citizens and their properties. If we fail to find Lukyamuzi in two days, we will sue the Government,†she threatened.
The Police said they had not arrested Lukyamuzi but were looking for him. “He is not in our custody. But we advise him, wherever he is, to come forward and tell us his side of the story,†said Kampala Police spokesman Simeo Nsubuga.
The Police added that Lukymuzi called a Kampala radio station yesterday, hinting that he was in hiding. “We have the recording. He said he would only avail himself if called by the Inspector General of Police,†said Kasingye.
(By Steven Candia, Joel Ogwang, Herbert Sempogo, Apollo Mubiru,
Edward Anyoli and Charles Ariko)