By M. Suleman

3^rd Oct 2011:

Accused: Police Chief Gen. Kale Kayihura

The month of ‘September’, it appears, is a month that will not only be significant to millions of Americans, but for billions of other people on the planet, including Ugandans.  Over the years, the things that have happened in the month of ‘September’ will never be forgotten.

‘September’ 11^th 2001 was of course the day when the twin towers in New York were brought down by Al-Qaeda terrorists.  On 26^th ‘September’ this year, 30 unarmed Burundians were brutally murdered by unknown gunmen. The Burundi President declared a period of national mourning and vowed to hunt down the perpetrators.

Round about the same time in ‘September’ 2009, 28 unarmed Ugandans were brutally murdered in Kampala during Buganda’s confrontation with the central government after the government stopped the Kabaka [King] of Buganda His Highness Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II from visiting Kayunga, a constituent part of his Kingdom.

Unlike in Burundi, those who executed unarmed Ugandan protesters in cold blood are known state security operatives.  Unlike in Burundi where President Nkuruziza vowed to hunt down the perpetrator, Museveni and his police chiefs came out in defence of their trigger happy security operatives.  No remorse was ever expressed by the government.

Again, unlike in Burundi where the President declared a period of national mourning, Museveni’s government declared a security in and around Kampala, during which brutal, disproportionate, and haphazard ‘panda gari’ arrests were conducted.  Over 100 suspected rioters were brutally arrested, thrown in prison, and charged with terrorism.

Today, 25 of Kayihura’s ‘panda gari’ prisoners are still rotting in Luzira prison.   Museveni’s threats to lock up, and even deny bail to the protesters whom he calls “rioters”, has made matters worse.  As a result, most people now seem to have backed off this case, leaving these innocent Ugandans to rot in the horrible Ugandan prisons.

But here is the ‘inconvenient truth’ that all of us Ugandans must face:  The senseless execution of unarmed citizens, the deliberate incarceration of people from one part of the country is not an issue that should ever be wished away easily.  It is a festering sore which, if left unchallenged, is likely to become a destructive force against the very foundations of our national cohesion.

Public protests are not unique to Uganda.  In South Africa, Britain, Greece, Spain, France etc people regularly protest to express their displeasure with some government policies and actions.  In this case, the Baganda had a legitimate cause to protest.  The Kabaka is the embodiment of every Muganda’s existence.

Buganda and her Kings existed before Uganda.  The Baganda are sensitive to their heritage and, by humiliating the Kabaka, the government should have expected some form of protest response.  So which law did the security forces invoke to shoot and kill protesters?  Why has the case of the ‘panda gari’ prisoners been treated differently before the law?

Does the silence of parliament and civil society mean that as a country we have endorsed the notion of shoot to kill?  Where does that leave the ‘presumption of innocence’ until proven guilty?  This is a fundamental principle of law that is reinforced by the right to bail, and yet, if Museveni gets his way, unwilling Ugandans will be forced to wave a final goodbye to the right to bail.

In short, the continued detention of the 25 ‘panda gari’ prisoners is sowing seeds of social strife, war, and bloodshed.  Those who executed the unarmed people should be arrested and taken to courts of law.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.