A4C leaders arrested ahead of ‘walk-to-work’
By Sharon Tibenda
17th Oct 2011:
File Photo: Besigye being arrested during first W2W
A combined force of police and military officers last evening changed tactics and decided to pre-emptively arrest key leaders of Activists for Change [A4C] ahead of today’s launch of the second phase of the ‘walk-to-work’ protest campaign against the NRM government’s failure to arrest runaway household commodity and fuel prices.
The arrests took place within hours of President Yoweri Museveni’s press conference at which he angrily warned all A4C activists against disrupting nationwide ‘O’ level exams that kick off today. The President, in his typical bullish mood, warned that those who will dare disrupt the ‘O’ level exams should prepare to be disrupted themselves.
The President’s warning appears to have been issued as part of a public relations war between A4C and government because ironically, A4C had earlier, in a 15th October letter, warned the Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura against using excessive and unlawful that could cause disruptions to students sitting for their final ‘O’ level exams.
Writing on her facebook page, Ms Anne Mugisha, one of the top leaders of A4C, confirmed that their members were indeed being arrested. “…There is a police operation going on right now and activists are being arrested through the night. Unless I read otherwise here or get a call from you, I believe Mwijukye Francis is among those now being held at Jinja Road Police Station and their phones have been taken.” Mugisha said.
She also confirmed that another A4C leader Fiona Busingye was being held at Kiira Road Police station. Other than Fiona Busingye, Anne Mugisha also reported that Ms Ingrid Turinawe and several Kampala coordinators of A4C who were holding a “coordination meeting” are under siege at the group’s office situated on Plot No: 6 Katonga Road, Nakasero – Kampala.
Eight other A4C activists who were leaving the meeting were also rounded, dumped into a van, and driven away to an unknown destination. Ms Mugisha appealed for support from the media and Lawyers to help liberate her colleagues who were under siege at their Katonga road offices. “…We are calling on the media and lawyers to rush to Katonga Road and help liberate Ingrid and our comrades.” Mugisha pleaded.
Flashback to first phase of ‘walk-to-work’
The ‘walk-to-work’ campaign, which was first launched in April this year, saw police and military officers using excessive force that resulted in suffocating tear gas being fired into the public indiscriminately and into nursery schools. Security officials also used live ammunition to disperse protesters, killing scores in the process.
The most memorable display of brutal force was however reserved for President Museveni’s chief nemesis, FDC President Dr. Kizza Besigye. The opposition leader was shot in the hand and sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray that blinded him for several days. His vehicle windows were also violently smashed to pieces on 29th April 2011 as plain cloth hammer and pistol swinging security officers violently arrested him.
Reasons for fresh ‘walk-to-work’ protests
A quick scan of the markets today shows that a kilo of sugar of risen from 2,500/= to 8,000/= shillings in some places. A sack of charcoal, which previously sold for approximately 5,000/=, is now averaging 10,000/=. A litre of petrol has also risen from a low of 1,935/= to nearly 3,495/= shillings today. All these have congregated to make life nearly impossible for millions of poor Ugandans on low pay.
But there are other new reasons too. David, an A4C activist who spoke to Uganda Correspondent said, “…it’s not only because of high food and fuel prices that we are calling on all Ugandans to join the ‘walk-to-work’ campaign across the country. Museveni’s illegitimacy, bad governance, and his refusal to pursue his close friends and relatives who have been implicated in big oil corruption scandals are all very good reasons.”
The youthful Democratic Party [DP] President General Mr Norbert Mao, who was the Gulu Municipality Member of Parliament at the time, once famously said, in a veiled reference to President Museveni, that “…a fish [read NRM] usually starts from the head [read Museveni]”.
The Inspector General of Police Maj. General Kale Kayihura, in what some analysts have described as “…an obvious signal that he intends to invoke harsh anti-terrorism laws against A4C”, recently declared to the world that they [police and other security agencies] have intelligence evidence that links A4C to terrorism plots in the country.
A4C leaders have however rubbished Kayihura’s threats as “desperate nonsense” and instead urged millions of Ugandans to ‘walk-to-work’ today. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
