Police arrest Mabira demo leaders
Apr 14, 2007
THE Vice-President of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, and the Chairman of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Issa Ssekito, were arrested yesterday in connection with Thursday’s riots and are to be charged with murder, the Police announced.
By Charles Etukuri
And Steven Candia
THE Vice-President of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, and the Chairman of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Issa Ssekito, were arrested yesterday in connection with Thursday’s riots and are to be charged with murder, the Police announced.
The two were picked up on Friday morning and were being interrogated most of the day at the Kampala Central Police Station. Efforts to have them charged failed as the Buganda Road court had already closed.
“They have been arrested and when we got them to court, it was too late. So they are appearing on Monday on murder charges,†Kampala Police chief Edward Ochom told The New Vision.
Last evening, the LC1 chairman of Makerere Kivuli, Badru Bwanika, joined the two others. He also faces charges of murder.
The Police have vowed to pursue and arrest whoever was involved in the violence, irrespective of their positions or social standing.
They singled out some MPs, especially from the opposition, for organising and inciting the public. The politicians, the Police said, had stirred up public sentiments against the Asian community, especially Indians, which culminated in the violence in which one person was stoned and beaten to death and several others were injured.
A top level police committee, headed by deputy director of CID Okoth Ochola, was formed to investigate the events.
In addition, the Police summoned by telephone nine politicians, among them Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Atim Anywar.
Lukwago confirmed they had been called but he said that as MPs, they could only be summoned through the speaker of parliament.
Meanwhile, some of the property looted during the riots has been recovered. The Katwe Police displayed 11 out of 12 motorcycles stolen from Leader Uganda Ltd. stores in Katwe Wansi, owned by a Chinese national.
“We have the motorcycles and arrested three people,†Katwe CID chief, Cosmas Ruganzu, said.
The Police identified the three suspects as Geoffrey Musisi, Richard Saka and Alias Ahimbisibwe.
Earlier on Friday, security in Kampala city and in Lugazi town, where the Mehta sugar factory is located, had been stepped up. The Democratic Party had planned an unauthorised demonstration at Mabira Forest but the plan flopped.
Heavily armed policemen, backed by military police and the UPDF, were seen patrolling the area around the Mehta sugar cane plantations. The gates leading to the SCOUL sugar factory were tightly guarded by police and Special Police Constables, and everyone entering was subjected to a thorough search.
And Steven Candia
THE Vice-President of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, and the Chairman of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Issa Ssekito, were arrested yesterday in connection with Thursday’s riots and are to be charged with murder, the Police announced.
The two were picked up on Friday morning and were being interrogated most of the day at the Kampala Central Police Station. Efforts to have them charged failed as the Buganda Road court had already closed.
“They have been arrested and when we got them to court, it was too late. So they are appearing on Monday on murder charges,†Kampala Police chief Edward Ochom told The New Vision.
Last evening, the LC1 chairman of Makerere Kivuli, Badru Bwanika, joined the two others. He also faces charges of murder.
The Police have vowed to pursue and arrest whoever was involved in the violence, irrespective of their positions or social standing.
They singled out some MPs, especially from the opposition, for organising and inciting the public. The politicians, the Police said, had stirred up public sentiments against the Asian community, especially Indians, which culminated in the violence in which one person was stoned and beaten to death and several others were injured.
A top level police committee, headed by deputy director of CID Okoth Ochola, was formed to investigate the events.
In addition, the Police summoned by telephone nine politicians, among them Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Atim Anywar.
Lukwago confirmed they had been called but he said that as MPs, they could only be summoned through the speaker of parliament.
Meanwhile, some of the property looted during the riots has been recovered. The Katwe Police displayed 11 out of 12 motorcycles stolen from Leader Uganda Ltd. stores in Katwe Wansi, owned by a Chinese national.
“We have the motorcycles and arrested three people,†Katwe CID chief, Cosmas Ruganzu, said.
The Police identified the three suspects as Geoffrey Musisi, Richard Saka and Alias Ahimbisibwe.
Earlier on Friday, security in Kampala city and in Lugazi town, where the Mehta sugar factory is located, had been stepped up. The Democratic Party had planned an unauthorised demonstration at Mabira Forest but the plan flopped.
Heavily armed policemen, backed by military police and the UPDF, were seen patrolling the area around the Mehta sugar cane plantations. The gates leading to the SCOUL sugar factory were tightly guarded by police and Special Police Constables, and everyone entering was subjected to a thorough search.