A Free Uganda Statement on the growing attacks on police stations and other security installations Uganda (29th March 2016)

Kapchorwa March 2016

Despot Museveni’s refusal to step down, after an election that was clearly rigged, is propelling the Ugandan nation to a violent clash between him and the rest of Ugandan citizens.

There is now very little doubt that Ugandans are gearing up for a fight to dislodge Museveni from state house should he fail to step down voluntarily.

And only one man is to blame for this state of affairs – Yoweri Museveni.

Not only did he rig the elections in such a comprehensive manner, but his daily repressive actions against innocent Ugandans, who are merely demanding for their constitutional rights and freedoms, has set the stage for violent show down, which is now more than mere speculation.

Because of the continued arrest and house arrests of freedom struggle leaders like Kizza Besigye and General Sejusa, as well as thousands of other pro-democracy activists, many of whom have disappeared without trace, this, in addition to wanton killings of unarmed civilians, daily tear-gassing of babies, pregnant women and even religious leaders, Ugandans are now realising that all peaceful means of expressing their grievances have been denied to them.

They are now left with little option but to prepare for a big fight to end tragic occupation of state house by a man who was overwhelmingly voted out by the majority of Ugandans.

It is no coincidence that many of the armed groups now launching their initiatory attacks on police stations in places like Sebei and Kasese, by all indications, military or, as it were, well trained people.

Ugandans will remember that the members of Ugandan armed forces, and even the police service, voted overwhelmingly against Yoweri Museveni in the February elections, a fact fully and publically acknowledge by Museveni himself.

The signs are that the men and women in uniform are slowly but steadily joining the People’s Struggle for Freedom.

It is true that a few of the police and UPDF functionaries are still offering their services to Museveni, his son Brigadier Muhoozi and the rogue police general, Kale Kayihura. Those are the ones killing, tear-gassing and intimidating innocent citizens in places like Kasangati, outside Dr. Kizza Besigye’s home.

But, without any shred of doubt, the overwhelming numbers of UPDF soldiers, police and security service functionaries, would love to help rescue their Motherland from Museveni’s illegitimate and illegal terrorist outfit that is falsely claiming to be the government of the Republic of Uganda.

The coming months will prove this to be the case.

The Struggle for Uganda’s freedom is on.

“The media shouldn’t parrot Opposition false claims” – Ofwono Opondo; I beg to differ and address his claims; and discuss he defense for the so-called Election Victory of his beloved NRM!

Topowa Vote

“If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it” – Mark Twain

When we speak of Ugandan election it is not often Mark Twain comes to mind, but he should be spoken about like folklore and around the bonfires and around the charcoal since it exactly what happen. Mr. Opondo has yet again come to the defense of his party and his master. Last time I addressed him on the 1st February 2016, when he attacked the Media and the FDC. He does the same thing again, now in another manner, but still needs to comment and arguments need to be sealed and show how the misleading words of the NRM spokesman are. If these arguments from the NRM spokesman are true, then I say that the voting done in the Presidential and Members of Parliament Elections in mid-February wouldn’t make a difference, since the NRM just let the citizens do it. But we would hope the value of the votes mattered more right?

“I take issue broadly with the Ugandan media’s coverage of election campaigns and results so far. It surprises me that more than a month after the public declaration, official release and gazzettment of the election results by Electoral Commission (EC) the mainstream media of radios, television stations and newspapers continue to parrot the false and absurd claims by Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) that he was ‘robbed’ of victory at the last minute by the NRM in connivance with the Electoral Commission and other State organs. FDC lost 17 of its 35 MPs in the 9th Parliament, and the party hasn’t made any gains at all!” (Opondo, 2016).

New Vision 71% 2011 - 2016

Well, the reason why everybody can claim what surprises you Mr. Opondo is that the men and woman with the Candidates Declarations Forms from the Polling stations from other parties have been detained, the amount of polling stations counted in the official announcement and results are small, the pre-ticked ballots evidence have been massive, even polling officials have had ballot-boxes pre-made before the Election Day; therefore with the massive amounts of the rigging the claims that surprises you shouldn’t Mr. Opondo, but I know you would say anything that your master command you to. As you are not allowed to think on your own right Mr. Opondo? I know that hurts, but by now it must be facts. If a rigged elections and the results from the elections is seen as verified then the might be a loss for the FDC, but even though they might not have lost, since there was no crowds celebrating your grand victory and the country was mourning while the soldiers was heavy deployed and the army was standing around Namboole Stadium and the Electoral Commission Headquarter unto the time for petition the elections on the 1st of March. So your victory can’t be that big when you need all security organizations, the army and the police at standby, if the public wanted your victory they would catch chicken thieves and not having Dr. Kizza Besigye under house-arrest ever since the day before the Election Day.

“In this election, Besigye gained 1.5 million votes compared to two million votes he got in 2011 while Museveni’s gain was a paltry 500,000. To the NRM strategists, this is the most shocking, indeed worrying trend, and having located the cause as being our messaging, strategy, campaign style, internal laxity, occasioned fraud and widespread bickering. We shall not blame anybody else except ourselves. Actually, to be frank, we were almost swept away by our collective failure to robustly respond to the Opposition demagoguery on issues of youth unemployment, despair among the urban population, poor and yet expensive public service delivery and bad public relations, especially to distribution of soft campaign cash that often got stolen along the way among other issues. This, to the Besigye camp, should give hope that with better strategic organisation, not only falsehoods, they can in the future topple NRM through the ballot instead of being bad losers” (Opondo, 2016).

PM Uganda 11.02.2016 Paying Bribe

Well, the NRM Task Force and Campaign Team have used large war-chest and monies on the election, ferrying more voters than ever in history. The cause doesn’t seem important as the recycling pledges from the leader of NRM and the President. There been internal problems that are visible ever since the Executive decided to cut ties with Amama Mbabazi. With that the Party has struggled through a strange internal election called the NRM-Primaries, and even in the end payed to have the losing incumbent as “NRM Independent” in the General Election. You can claim stolen campaign funds while you have scandals of money from the Bank of Uganda used for campaign, getting money from the Government of Kenya and giving away UGX 250k to every village in the last days before the Presidential Poll on the 18th February. If the FDC came with only “Falsehood” and still feeling the need to defend the ballots, the ballot and pre-ticked ballots and the statistically strange results of 100% for the NRM candidate at certain polling stations. There are too many issues from the Election Day and the late release of Election Material in Wakiso and Kampala while the Kaabong Town and Lira Town could vote from the early morning on the Election Day seems like rigging to me, as the EC Headquarter are just besides the Polling Stations in Kampala and Wakiso. So Mr. Opondo the deal with feeling bad about losing is that there to many factors in the pot to make a to tasty stew for the matooki, it is not just beans, it is leafs, onions, spices and water mixing well to feed the pundits and commentators with enough to question the elections. If the FDC could topple the NRM, then the NRM should not worry about defending all the Electoral Malpractices during the Election and Pre-Election Period proves the problems that the NRM Spokesman struggles with. That must be the reason why he had to defend yet again the Election Announcement and Declaration. But Mr. Opondo does not have the heart to discuss that and suggest the issues since that really weakens the argument he needs to justify the so-called “win”.

Missing boxes 20.02.2016

The claims of rigging, especially at the last minute through alleged intimidation of candidates’ agents, ballot stuffing, falsification or alteration of results on tally and declaration sheets and at announcements are perturbing and incredibly unbelievable. These could pass as truth if the peddlers could at least adduce some verifiable evidence from eyewitnesses and documents in their possession that differ from those of the EC, which ought to be available from the multiple sources, including the media that observed these elections” (Opondo, 2016).

Mr. Opondo, when you got footage, got reports of officials, even police officers having ballots, when you got so many FDC officials and Go-Forward Officials detained, is not “incredible unbelievable”; that sad thing Mr. Opondo is that it is true, if not the FDC would might have had the opportunity to file a petition of this fraudulent Election you claim to valid. The Police have rounded up and taken amounts of opposition officials in jail and at gun-point. I know that you don’t believe that Mr. Opondo, that is because you’re sitting safe in your home and reading while “sighing” and “cursing”. Mr. Opondo I know you wish your party and leadership that pays you creates a “fairytale”, but without your knowledge apparently the Party you’re speaking for and working hard to defend has become the Orwellian. The Election Observers and Monitoring Teams have come with both good and bad. Even said that the Electoral Commission didn’t reform as asked to do after the General Election 2011, the CCEDU and CEON-U were not taken in or even gotten a place in the Petition. Commonwealh was not giving a good preliminary statement; the COMESA/EAC/AU gave a counter-statement that was positive; while the European Union also asked questions; as much as the American Mission in Kampala has also asked for the copies of the forms, with the Electoral Commission complying to the request proving that there are questions to be asked! That is something you don’t even bother to think about, Mr Opondo? Or is that reasoning blowing your mind and boggles the brain-cell that operates your reasoning?

Transmission of Results Omoro

“But, it appears the candidates, observers and media did a shoddy job and are now embarrassed that they cannot provide any credible documentary evidence of fraud hence the generalised allegations of cheating and unfairness. The local media in particular, appear to have been overtaken by the early rumblings in the campaigns perhaps by the way Mbabazi was hounded out of NRM secretary general position and the subsequent obstruction of his initial consultations outside NRM party rules by the police. Unfortunately, Mbabazi’s would-be most loyal and vocal supporter, his wife Jacqueline has been reported indisposed throughout the campaigns and, we wish her steady recovery.  The media silence has left Besigye to make bogus claims, thereby inadvertently lending false credence that indeed he was cheated and fanned public anxiety. Surely, the Uganda media can do much better” (Opondo, 2016).

The Embarrassing part Mr. Opondo with all the knowledge you still attack the opposition who has been detained and struggled. While the NRM has had police by their side, the NRM have ordered the Police and even used them to silence the Media. And when you as a spokesman uses the end of statement implying them to tell the story as you do; you wonder why people are claiming what they do? If it was “Bogus Claims” from the FDC wouldn’t you just let the FDC come with a Petition with the Declaration Forms and witnesses instead of doing what you did? The only good thing you did during the whole statement was to defend the election and attack the FDC. And as a NRM Spokesperson you’re supposed to speak up for the Party, so if you did anything else Mr. Opondo you would do a crappy job, but defending this in this display and rhetoric is not winning or defining the opposition or the announcement of the result.

NBS 23.02.2016 Najjanankumbi

The reason Mr. Opondo why I have not discussed the numbers and percentage of this election, as that is not necessary as your constant attack on the media. Because of it was fair and the justification of the victory was unnecessary your piece would have made more sense. This was not a piece of clear message and clarifying the victory, more a meager display of trying to defend the election and the winning result. Mr. Opondo if it was a clear victory wouldn’t he be happy people around the streets of Kampala and all over the country? As it has been in the early history of your beloved NRM-Election?

The silence of the media is because of the mourning and understanding of their audience and have followed the UGPetition16 and the actions around that; the other issue is that the NRM have attacked the media from pre-election period, the police has shot a journalist in the head, detained a dozen, confiscated the equipment, taken broadcaster of air, shut of the transmitters of radios, closed stations when opposition leaders comes to scheduled programming, gotten NTV banned from the campaign trail and so on. The NRM is responsible for the climate that the media is in, the censoring and silence is made by the irresponsible and irrational leadership of the NRM and their Executive. But Mr. Opondo could never say that because he has to praise and kiss the Executive ass right?

I think that is enough for tonight. The reasoning from Mr. Opondo is yet again missing and his analysis written by a blind mind, but a hungry tummy as he wants a bigger paycheck; just like Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu got before the Election. Peace.

Reference:

Opondo, Ofwono – ‘The media shouldn’t parrot Opposition false claims’ (28.03.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Media-parrot-Opposition-false-claims/-/689364/3135890/-/2m2g7v/-/index.html

Kamwenge RDC survives attack in Kasese (Youtube-Clip)

“A man wielding a machete in Kasese attempted to attack the Kamwenge Deputy Resi-dent District Commissioner, Aminadab Muhindo, but was shot in the leg by Muhindo’s bodyguard. The incident that occurred last evening, comes in the wake of clashes be-tween the locals and the police over the outcome of the recent LC III election” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

Bishop Kaggwa Blames Government For Kasese Attacks (Youtube-Clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQXB3i9Cpjo

“In Masaka, the diocesan Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa took to the pulpit during Good Friday mass and implored security agents against using excessive force when curbing demonstrations. Citing the case of Kasese, according to the bishop, if security had acted with restraint, lives would never have been lost” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016).

Kasese Attacks – Armed Assailants Storm Police Post (Youtube-Clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ddcn3AFDk

“A group of unknown assailants armed with pangas last night stormed a Police post in Kasese Municipality, killed a Police officer and made away with two AK 47 guns. One of the attackers was shot dead by police officers, while another sustained bullet wounds and is now admitted at Kilembe Mines Hospital. The group’s motive remains to be known although security agencies told NBS that investigations were in high gear” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016).

Laywer Muwema letter to Facebook on Disinformation (22.03.2016)

Muwema & Co 22.03. Zuker Letter P1Muwema & Co 22.03. Zuker Letter P2Muwema & Co 22.03. Zuker Letter P3

Press Statement from Muwema & CO on the Office Raids of 8th March (21.03.2016)

Muwema & CO 21.03.2016Muwema & CO 21.03.2016. P2jpg

Kasangati Court petition of Dr. Kizza Besigye house-arrest continues – Final ruling set to be tomorrow!

Kasangati Court 21.03.2016

Today the legal-team of Dr. Kizza Besigye entered the Kasangati Magistrates court to continue the petition and filing of the case against the state and police house-arrest of his home in Kasangati, as it has been mid-February.

Witness comment on the matter today:

“Kasangati court has once again adjurned the ruling of the case in which Dr. KIZZA Besigye through his lawyer David Mpanga file a case against Inspector general of police and Regional police commader Kampala North to tommorrow ( tuesday) 10 am Kizza Besigye’s lawyers want court to order the with withdraw of police from Kizza Besigye’s home. This was after Prosy Katushabe the Kasangati court grade 1 magistrate over ruled the objection of state attoney calling for dismissal of the case. The magistrate gave Kizza Besigye’s lawyers to make their final submission by today 2pm. Hundreds of Besigye and FDC suppoters had thronged the the Kasangati court to witnessed the outcome of the court ruling”.

Besigye Legal Team 21.03.2016

Lukwago and legal team visit Besigye’s home:

“At Dr. Besigye’s residence with Hon. Latiff Ssebaggala, Hon Kassiano Wadri and counsel Shifrah Lukwago. The Kasangati Chief Magistrate has overruled the state objection to Dr. Besigye’s application challenging the continued incarceration at his home and ordered the matter to be heard on merit. The final ruling shall be delivered tomorrow at 10am. The struggle continues”

Also the car of Dr. Kizza Besigye has been returned after being under Police custody for three weeks, and as the Kizza Besigye and fellow friends look over the car, they found that the Police had made new finishes to the car and added spy-ware and tracking devices to the car. As the criminal and fugitive they act as he is, as the Government and the Police still have him under house-arrest, keeps arresting fellow opposition activist as they are supposed in the Supreme Court Petition of Amama Mbabazi these days.

So the struggle continues kigwa leero! Peace.

Kasangati Court has a “Volunteer-day” and stalls the verdict for Dr. Kizza Besigye House-Arrest!

Daudi Mpaka Kasangati Court 18.03.2016

Kasangati Magistrate Court yesterday Ajured the case, today they put a Pro Bono day. That means that the officials say they work for free this, in the UK a Pro Bono is a volunteer act for the public good. From Wikipedia: “A judge may occasionally determine that the loser should compensate a winning pro bono counsel”. That is a compensation of a losing case so that they get counsel, but the court of Kasangati called it Pro Bono Day, meaning that they don’t need to work the case, but giving the lawyers of FDC and Dr. Kizza Besigye compensation as Pro Bono, for the common good. Though it is literally one thing, stalling of time…

As the Legal-Dictonary.theFreeDictonary states:

pro bono: adj. short for pro bono publico, Latin “for the public good,” legal work performed by lawyers without pay to help people with legal problems and limited or no funds, or provide legal assistance to organizations involved in social causes such as the environmental, consumers, minorities, youth, battered women and education organizations and charities”.

So if the Kasangati court would do the public some good, they woudn’t do what they did today, with stalling the case another day. Here is from the official!

From the FDC:

“Disappointing..that officers of court should use technicalities to perpetuate abuse of individual’s rights. The police chief isn’t untouchable, can be sued. “ -Mr. Daudi Mpanga, Barrister for Dr. Besigye. Dr. Besigye’s case adjourned until Monday because it’s pro bono day”.

Kasangati 17.03.2016

From Erias Lukwago today:

“With the Court Of Appeal Justice, Remmy Kasule and Madam Ruth Ssebatindira at the Uganda Law Society probono day at the Railway Grounds this morning. It’s a day where members of the legal profession offer free legal counsel to the indegents and renew our commitment to uphold the values of eqity and social justice”.

So Yesterday the Kasangati Court said the government needed more time, today they have only volunteers and can’t address the case, a Pro Bono litteraly means, but the government has enough resources to keep the Police and Military Police around his house, his area and roadblocks from Kampala as we speak, and get everybody interviewed, filmed and recorded before entering the gates of Kasangati, as the House Arrest continues. That is acceptable in the state of Uganda, as President Museveni continues to linger in power and keeping innocent men in jail and house-arrest without charges or reason for the arrest. A continuation that has been steady since before Election Day on the 18th of February 2016 and seem to go on until the swearing-in at this point.

That being said as a reminder of the lawfulness of the Kasangati Court as they work with orders from above, not from following the law for preventative arrests or anything else, that specifies time for it and release of the prisoner, as they have never taken away that Colonial law as the Government of Uganda has the need for it, it seems. Peace.  

Darius Tweyambe released after 11 days at Kireka and after the release he visited Kizza Besigye!

Darius Released

Finally released, though 11 days without “charge” for carrying Candidates Declaration Results forms that says the Polls and votes from Poll Stations in the area. That Darius Tweyambe, the FDC Official in Rukungiri was detained for collection DR Forms, not inciting crime! That is what the Police Force in Uganda are doing and getting away with! Nobody is saying anything or addressing the matter.