Police raid Mbidde’s house for weapons
Jun 23, 2010
THE Police have searched the home of the Democratic Party legal adviser, Mukasa Mbidde, for “dangerous chemicals for use in terrorist actsâ€. Led by Katwe Police Station crime chief Vincent Okurut, a five-man team arrived at the home in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, at about 7:00am.
By Herbert Ssempogo
THE Police have searched the home of the Democratic Party legal adviser, Mukasa Mbidde, for “dangerous chemicals for use in terrorist actsâ€. Led by Katwe Police Station crime chief Vincent Okurut, a five-man team arrived at the home in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, at about 7:00am.
“We received some information that chemicals were being kept at his house so we went there to confirm. A guard at the home hesitated to let us in, but swung the gate open after I telephoned Mbidde, who was in Masaka,†Okurut said by telephone.
Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said: “We had information that he had items kept there to be used by rioters to attack officers on duty.â€
The detectives scanned all rooms, including the bedroom, toilets and ceiling, but found no illegal substances. Instead, the Police recovered a broken swagger cane usually carried by Police and army officers, especially during official ceremonies.
“It was not relevant to the investigation, but he will have to tell us where he got it from,†Okurut stated.
He stressed that the investigations to establish whether Mbidde has items that could be used in acts of terrorism and making explosives would continue.
The search followed intelligence reports of a ploy to throw acid on law enforcers during riots.
A search warrant was issued on Tuesday by the Makindye Magistrates’ Court.
Contacted on telephone, Mbidde described the development as a government plot to disorganise him as he plans to stand for a parliamentary seat in Kalungu East in Masaka next year. The sitting MP is Lule Mawiya of the NRM.
“President Yoweri Museveni has started a campaign to disorganise me as the struggle to get him out of power gains momentum, but we shall prevail,†Mbidde said.
Mbidde, who is not a stranger to controversy, is known for a flamboyant lifestyle. For instance, he owns three posh cars with personalised registration numbers. Among them is an “M-Class Mercedes Benz and a white Escalade, which he acquired recently.
Mbidde, a former Makerere University guild president, was once a top leader of the Uganda Young Democrats, which is allied to the Democratic Party.
He was once a close ally of Kampala mayor Ntenge Sebaggala, but fell out with him.
Mbidde also once threatened to organise street protests in Kampala but the Police deployed at his home and foiled the plans.
THE Police have searched the home of the Democratic Party legal adviser, Mukasa Mbidde, for “dangerous chemicals for use in terrorist actsâ€. Led by Katwe Police Station crime chief Vincent Okurut, a five-man team arrived at the home in Makindye, a Kampala suburb, at about 7:00am.
“We received some information that chemicals were being kept at his house so we went there to confirm. A guard at the home hesitated to let us in, but swung the gate open after I telephoned Mbidde, who was in Masaka,†Okurut said by telephone.
Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said: “We had information that he had items kept there to be used by rioters to attack officers on duty.â€
The detectives scanned all rooms, including the bedroom, toilets and ceiling, but found no illegal substances. Instead, the Police recovered a broken swagger cane usually carried by Police and army officers, especially during official ceremonies.
“It was not relevant to the investigation, but he will have to tell us where he got it from,†Okurut stated.
He stressed that the investigations to establish whether Mbidde has items that could be used in acts of terrorism and making explosives would continue.
The search followed intelligence reports of a ploy to throw acid on law enforcers during riots.
A search warrant was issued on Tuesday by the Makindye Magistrates’ Court.
Contacted on telephone, Mbidde described the development as a government plot to disorganise him as he plans to stand for a parliamentary seat in Kalungu East in Masaka next year. The sitting MP is Lule Mawiya of the NRM.
“President Yoweri Museveni has started a campaign to disorganise me as the struggle to get him out of power gains momentum, but we shall prevail,†Mbidde said.
Mbidde, who is not a stranger to controversy, is known for a flamboyant lifestyle. For instance, he owns three posh cars with personalised registration numbers. Among them is an “M-Class Mercedes Benz and a white Escalade, which he acquired recently.
Mbidde, a former Makerere University guild president, was once a top leader of the Uganda Young Democrats, which is allied to the Democratic Party.
He was once a close ally of Kampala mayor Ntenge Sebaggala, but fell out with him.
Mbidde also once threatened to organise street protests in Kampala but the Police deployed at his home and foiled the plans.