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By:
Derrick Wandera | |||||||||
| Posted:
May,25-2022 01:43:10
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Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye yesterday eluded the security mounted at his home in Kasangati, Wakiso District, and made his way to the city centre to protest high commodity prices in the country.
This publication established that the former Forum for Democratic Change party (FDC) president left his home at about 7:30am in his car without being noticed by security officers.
A source, who preferred anonymity, told this publication that Dr Besigye made a surveillance around the Kasangati area before driving out of his home when the police officers were carrying out their routine morning parade.
“A patrol with about five relaxed-looking officers was parked at his behind gate, another Toyota Premio could be seen about 2km away in the valley on Kasangati-Matugga road,” the source said adding that other two patrol cars waited along the Kasangati road.
Dr Besigye reportedly used the main gate which the officers normally ignore.
According to the source, Dr Besigye’s vehicle moved at break-neck speed through the heavy morning traffic on Gayaza road and branched off to Mulago Hospital before turning towards Wandegeya and getting on Bombo road. The journey, according to the source, lasted about 40 minutes. However, Mr Luke Owoyesigire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, yesterday said they thought Dr Besigye was headed for his routine work.
“Police are no longer at his home so we saw him on the road. He came out as one going for his routine work in town. There was nothing like eluding [security] because we have the capacity to see him from very far,” Mr Owoyesigire said.
Having been blocked from protesting on Monday, the police vowed to keep monitoring Dr Besigye’s movements. However, it is not clear how and why they left his home in less than 24 hours.
This is the fourth time, in two weeks, that the political activist is attempting to protest against the skyrocketing prices of commodities.
The other two times, he was arrested and put under what police described as preventive arrest although they later withdrew security at his home and allowed people to visit him. Yesterday, unlike the other times, Dr Besigye did not hold a press conference prior to setting off from his home.
By 8:10am, Dr Besigye was at Mini-Price in the city centre but stayed in his car for more than 30 minutes.
At 8:40am, the People’s Front for Transition (PFT) leader, a pressure group, rose through his open roof and punched in the air multiple times while chanting his wake-up call. “Let us wake up and fight these unfair high prices. We are on our own because the government has shown no intentions to solve the problems of the people,” he appealed.
The public responded almost in unison as they abandoned their workstations to join the protest. As the numbers started to swell, Dr Besigye who was with former Rubaga South MP candidate Lubega Mukaaku and his driver, moved towards Arua Park.
About 40 minutes later, the police came in and blocked Besigye’s car from either sides while urging people to go back to work.
The traders pelted stones in the police direction but the men in uniform stayed put.
Later, Besigye’s car was towed to the Central Police Station. The trio was also detained there for more than an hour before they were later taken to Nagalama, Mukono where they were charged and detained over incitement of violence.
Kampala City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who is also Besigye’s lead lawyer, while at Nagalama said: “We are here trying to secure police bond for them but we don’t know what else they are planning”.
Ms Proscovia Kunihira, who is part of Besigye’s legal team, said: “Our mandate is to make sure that our client gets freedom and as his lawyers, we are making sure that he is safe which is why we are here”.
In his address on Sunday, President Museveni offered no relief to the high fuel and commodity prices, dampening the hopes of Ugandans as they will continue to dig deep into their pockets to meet basic needs.
Mr Museveni termed cutting taxes as “dangerous” and “suicidal” but Dr Besigye thinks continuous protests will trigger more Ugandans to go to the streets to source solutions from the government. | |||||||||
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Source:
The Monitor
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