UPF Press Statement: The Police explain the reason for detaining Dr. Kizza Besigye before going to FDC HQ at Najjankumbi for Tuesday Prayer (05.04.2016)

Besigye Kasangati 05.04.2016

The Uganda Police Force has learnt that tomorrow 5th April, 2016, RTD. Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye will attend prayers at the FDC party Headquarters at Najanankumbi. The prayers shall be held within the enclosed party premises and this therefore does not violate the law.

What is of particular security concern however, is information that after the prayers RTD. Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye intends to drive in a procession from Najanankumbi through Clock Tower to Container Village which is one of the most highly populated areas in Kampala City.

The purpose of this statement therefore is to caution RTD. Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye to desist from carrying out any procession tomorrow because he has not notified the police in time as required by the Public Order Management Act sec 4 (1) 5(1). Violation of this law calls for sanctions as provided by the Act.

The public is strongly advised to shun anyone who tries to involve them in any unlawful activity that is likely to disrupt safety and peace within the city and which could result into damage to lives and people’s properties.

The Uganda Police Force assures all Ugandans and in particular the business community in Kampala that all measures are in place to ensure public order as well as security for persons and properties.By Blanshe Musinguzi

ACP Namaye Polly

Deputy PRO

UPF

Besigye had planned to participate at the Prayers at the FDC HQ in Najjankumbi by the Calvary; As praying is a tool of ‘Evil’ for the NRM-Regime; Dr. Kizza Besigye detained before the prayer and taken from Kiira Road P.S. to Naggalama Police Station to be detained!

Besigye Kasangati 05.04.2016

Today the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) had yet another planned Tuesday Prayers at their headquarters all over the country. This is the continuation of the boycott that has been going on from the Political Party since the Announcement of the Result from the Electoral Commission and Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu. So today was the first day that Dr. Kizza Besigye has driven out of his home since he went to All Saints, when he was detained straight after Service.

Besigye 04.05.2016 P1

While at the FDC Headquarter the Police have sieged the building and discontinued the planned prayers. Journalist from the area has been whisked away as the Police do not want this to be reported in the spirit of the new Kampala Metropolitan Police chief Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

Besigye 04.05.2016 P2

FDC reported:

“Many are gathered at our HQ, waiting for Dr. Kizza Besigye to arrive. The police has stopped him from proceeding and journalists denied the right to do their work. Police is armed to the teeth, beating up people” (Forum for Democratic Change, 05.04.2016).

Besigye Car Towed Yusuf Lule Road 05.04.2016

FDC’s Presidential Candidate’s Dr. Besigye car was towed away by insecurity police. This is a photo taken by Besigye’s in the car .Now at Yusuf Lule road. Meanwhile the FDC prayer has been disrupted by the same Uganda police.

Najjankumbi 05.04.2016

Dr. Kizza Besigye while being towed:

“Scared regime!! We couldn’t be allowed to get to Fdc Hqs for prayers. Now being towed to… I don’t know where!”

As the day went ahead and the Prayer was stopped and the Police had stopped the FDC convoy at Kalerwe and they planned to drive over Mulago to Central Kampala and the FDC Headquarter. But the Police towed his car and detained Dr. Kizza Besigye at the Kiira Road Police Station.

Besigye Kiira Road P.S. 05.04.2016

MP-elect Francis Mwijuke statement:

“We were towed together with the president of the people Dr. Kizza Besigye and taken to Kiira rd police station. We were led to the DPCs office. Two minutes later we were asked to get out and board a police van. When we reached at the van UP 4860, only Dr. Was forced into the van and driven away. Meanwhile there was an van UP 4861 which police surrounded to confuse the journalists and the public. Later the journalists followed the second van and then we were release” (Francis Mwijuke, 05.04.2016).

FDC Najjakumbi 05.04.2016

Certain FDC Officials are now traversing to Kasangati, others plans to see at Naggalama Police Station where Dr. Kizza Besigye have been detained before. As the Uganda Police Force continues to display arrogance towards the opposition party and destroy their peaceful prayers. The final news is that Besigye is detained at Naggalama Police Station in Mukono.

FDC Besigye 05.04.2016

Kampala Police Spokesperson Onyango Said: “Besigye defied orders, charged at Wandegeya police station with participating in unlawful procession”.

Let me explain:

So for those who don’t know the coded langauge of the Uganda Police the people who turned up to finally see Dr. Kizza Besigye and followed him by their own will. Made a Procession that was not seeked for; as the Police Force need to award the Opposition Party and Opposition Officials for the planned activities that any other then NRM have to follow under the Public Order Management Act (POMA); who nicely been dubbed the Anti-Besigye-Act (ABA); so if Besigye to be allowed riding down to central Kampala and go to his office he has to file papers to allow his movement. If not the Police will through tear-gas, storm the Najjankumbi Headquarters of the FDC in the name of that draconian law!

Police 05.04.2016 Mukono

So as I expect and what we thought the Police would do when he entered out the home; Dr. Kizza Besigye would enter into pastures where he is well known in the Police Stations of Kiira and Naggalama, as the NRM-Regime keep him under surveillance and want to stop him from doing political work and drain his spirit. While he is strong keeps pushing the peaceful actions against the regime that uses tear-gas and preventative arrest of him and others to keep the opposition on leach. Peace.

Rwenzururu king hands over UPDF guns captured in weekend shoot-out (Youtube-Clip)

“The Rwenzururu king, Charles Wesley Mumbere today handed over three AK47 rifles to the army. The guns, which belong to the UPDF soldiers guarding Mumbere’s palace, had been taken from from the palace armoury during a scuffle between the Omusinga’s royal guards and his UPDF guards. According to the king, the guns were used by the royal guards to defend the palace after a UPDF soldier who was guarding the palace shot and killed a royal guard after a scuffle.  The army has temporarily withdrawn from the palace as talks between the kingdom and Security agencies continue.  Mumbere has also asked the police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura to immediately withdraw crime preventers for peace to prevail” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

Bank of Uganda – Monetary Policy Statement for April 2016: “Core Inflation level to 6,2%” (04.04.2016)

BoU MPS April 2016 P1BoU MPS April 2016 P2

In Bushenyi the Public Servants told to keep their mouth shut and don’t become “News Reports”; in the name of NRM-Regime, they don’t want to be accountable or transparent!

Museveni 101115

We know that the NRM does not have it in them to be accountable, if so they would have disclosed more information and dealing then they already do. As the land-agreements, oil-contracts, road-development and so on is kept on the low-key instead of in the public spotlight.

So when one of the general leaders in the Public Consumption told the fellow civil servants to not share their information with the world. Take a look!

What Ms. Nakayenga told new Public Officials in Bushenyi:

” Ms Pauline Nakayenga, told the leaders that information for public consumption is released only by mandated offices. She said revealing the information by anyone else can cause confusion” (…) “Commit yourselves to public service and be faithful to the offices you are taking. Keep government secrets, don’t become news reporters. Government and public information is released by the district spokesperson who is, in this case, the CAO [chief administrative officer] or district chairperson,” said Ms Nakayenga” (Amanyisa, 2016).

This law from the first Obote I Government is still in action and therefore, when it is valid it is useful in the discussion.

Bushenyi Medical Centre

This is what the law says about Public Service on this matter:

Section 8: “Any member or officer of the commission and any other person who, without the written permission of the Minister, knowingly publishes or discloses to any person otherwise than in the exercise of his or her official functions the contents of any document, communication or information” (…) ”which has come to his or her notice in the course of his or her duties in relation to the commission commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to both” (…) “Any person who knows of any information which to his or her knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of subsection (1) who publishes or communicates it to any other person otherwise than for the purpose of any prosecution under this Act or in the course of his or her official duty commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to both”.

So the laws are already strict as a Public Servant the disclosed material and documents are supposed to be secret and talked about, there even possibility of being fined or being imprisoned up to a year. So Ms. Nakayenga is actually speaking as the law is confined to, even if she knows it or not.

Still it is a worrying sign that the Public Information does not the information out or prove their accountable and transparent towards the citizens they claim to serve. In any instance that is worrying. It is also worrying how quickly I could find a law fitting the NRM-regimes wish for secrecy of Public Office and the Public Service, and their Public Servants!

Bushenyi

In my opinion it is not healthy when the Government does not express its will or its works; as then they have to hide what they’re doing and cannot been seen as accountable. If all work happen in secret then the Public Service is not for the people, but for the elite and the Government itself. And the Government is supposed to serve its citizens with the necessary services and security. Certain secrets are supposed only to be governments ones. But not all and the Civil Servants or the Local-Council and Local-Government should sometimes disclose information so that the public would actually know what is happening with the donor-funds, the taxpayers money and the planned operations and the budget use of the county. Without being seen by central and other Government Officials as “News Reporters”, that is just vindictive.

She did not define secrets, is everything the government do a secret? Is it filing the documents on land-owners in a county a secret? Is the next official contract for which Telephone Company Bundibugyo district is using for their employees? Should that be kept low-key or be told if the locals want to know and also know how much the local-council get funded for their usage of their smart-phone, or is that a secret?

Because if all business of the government and the local-council is disclosed and kept a secret, then the government is shadowing the public; and can do whatever they want without question unless it is visible killings. Still the certainly a culture amongst the NRM and the NRM-Regime to not tell or not wanting to tell their planned actions in public as the public does not need to know in their opinion; that is why under the Election Day the VPN was used and the Electoral Commission wanted to ban cameras and mobile-phones at the Polling Stations. Peace.   

Reference:

Amanyisa, Zadock – ‘Don’t reveal government secrets, youth leaders warned’ (02.04.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Don-t-reveal-government-secrets-youth-leaders-warned/-/688334/3142626/-/kwjdw4z/-/index.html

 

Public Service Act of 1969 – link: http://www.ulii.org/ug/legislation/consolidated-act/288

Mukula meets Omusinga Mumbere over Kasese violence (Youtube-Clip)

The cultural leader of Rwenzururu Kingdom, “Omusinga” Charles Wesley Mumbere, has called for a meeting with President Museveni to resolve the clashes in the Rwenzori region. The Omusinga made the call after holding a meeting with the NRM party’s east-ern region vice chairman Mike Mukula. Mukula paid the leader a visit to try and broker talks to avert further clashes” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

Burundian UN Security Council Resolution 2279; a good deed, but will it make a difference?

BurundiNTVNews

As the unrest and crisis in Burundi continues even if they have Peacekeepers in Central African Republic and Somalia. The Opposition and the Government still keeps on with killings and oppressive behavior from the Government Armed Forces from the Police and the Army. The Opposition even tries to do plots to take down people of higher rankings as they have even attacked and gone after ministers and army generals. That is why the United Nation Security Council on the 1st of April 2016 finally have come to resolution on the conflict as the Inclusive Inter-Burundian Dialogue that have been stalled after the Ugandan President Museveni was out of the picture. There since been little or no-talks between the powerful actors in the country.

burundi-protests

Even with stories of counter-insurgencies from Rwanda and trained militias to topple the President Nkurunziza shows the viability and how the positions are played at the moment. But here are the most specific and most important parts of the UN resolution 2279 (2016) of the Security Council:

“Stressing the primary responsibility of the Government of Burundi for ensuring security in its territory and protecting its population with respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law, as applicable” (…)”Urges the Government of Burundi and all parties to reject any kind of violence and condemn any public statement inciting violence or hatred and demands that all sides in Burundi refrain from any action that would threaten peace and stability in the country” (…)”Urges the Government of Burundi to respect, protect and guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in line with the country’s international obligations, to adhere to the rule of law, to bring to justice and hold accountable all those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law or violations and abuses of human rights, as applicable, including sexual violence and violations against children” (…)”Welcomes the steps made by the Government of Burundi to withdraw some media bans, cancel some arrest warrants and release a significant number of detainees, and urges the Government of Burundi to urgently fulfil the remaining commitments announced by the Government of Burundi on 23 February 2016 and to extend such measures to other media outlets and political detainees” (…)”Welcomes the consent of the Burundian authorities to increase to 200 the number of human rights observers (100) and military experts (100) of the AU, calls for their full and speedy deployment in Burundi, notes that 30 human rights observers and 15 military observers have been deployed so far, and urges the Government of Burundi and other concerned stakeholders to provide them with full cooperation in order to facilitate the implementation of their mandate” (…)”Calls on States in the region to contribute to a solution to the crisis in Burundi, and to refrain from supporting the activities of armed movements in any way, and recalls in this regard commitments of the States in the region under the Framework Agreement on the Peace, Security and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region and the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees” (UN Resolution 2279, 2016).

Most of this is expected from the United Nation Security Council and their values and the wishes of security of the people of Burundi; which is the reason for why the resolution occurs. The issue I have with it, is not that the Resolution finally get Blue-Helmets on the ground and they are supposed to help to gain peace. But when you see the amount of people, experts and military men from the Peacekeepers it is very little. As little as it seems to be a gimmick and then the world society “we did something” but initially that something was very little.

policiers-burundi

And the Burundian Government will sure make sure their mandate is minor or small so they can conduct their affairs as much as they please only to formally do the implementation that are into the standards of the signed statues and the agreements done to international laws. So they don’t have grievances with anybody or anyone from the United Nation or the International donors to the Burundian Regime.

That the UN Peacekeepers will have the total of 100 Military Experts as Peacekeepers, that is a tiny base; they will not have the mandate or structure to do much in Burundi. It is more than the 15 Military Experts that are there now, so it is as adjustment. The Human Rights Monitoring will not be able to force anything, but to report to the UN and AU on the matters and issues on the ground. For me what is important is to remember the dire state that was in Rwanda before 1994. As this is similar and also had a Peacekeeping mission. But looking at the similarities when coming to the mission; the Burundian Peacekeepers can’t do much about nothing.

Document 3 Image

Important dates and issues with Rwandan Peacekeeping Mission:

“On 22 June 1993, the Security Council, by its resolution 846 (1993), authorized the establishment of UNOMUR on the Uganda side of the common border, for an initial period of six months, subject to review every six months. The Council decided that the verification would focus primarily on transit or transport, by roads or tracks which could accommodate vehicles, of lethal weapons and ammunition across the border, as well as any other material which could be of military use” (…)”As requested by resolution 846 (1993), the United Nations undertook consultations with the Government of Uganda with a view to concluding a status of mission agreement for UNOMUR. The agreement was finalized and entered into force on 16 August 1993. This opened the way to deployment of an advance party which arrived in the mission area on 18 August. UNOMUR established its headquarters in Kabale, Uganda, about 20 kilometres north of the border with Rwanda. By the end of September 1993, the Mission had reached its authorized strength of 81 military observers and was fully operational” (…)”. Reporting to the Security Council on 15 December 1993 on the activities of the Mission, the Secretary-General noted that UNOMUR was “a factor of stability in the area and that it was playing a useful role as a confidence-building mechanism”. Upon his recommendation, the Council, by its resolution 891 (1993) of 20 December 1993, extended UNOMUR’s mandate by six months. The Council expressed its appreciation to the Government of Uganda for its cooperation and support for UNOMUR and also underlined the importance of a cooperative attitude on the part of the civilian and military authorities in the mission area” (UNOMOR Background).

We all who followed the Situation in the Rwandan Genocide knew what happened after this and that the mission of United Nations Peacekeepers was not incapable of doing anything with the dire situation in Rwanda that was already in 1993 and what escalated in 1994. Those 81 Military Observers did not have the manpower or the mandate to sufficiently do anything in the country.

As we are today in April 2016, 12 years after 1994, in the neighbor country of Burundi who also have history of civil war and violence, that ended in the Arusha Peace Accord of 2000 and gave way to over a decade of peace. Still, it was not sufficient or enough. 

Burundi Violence

So the 15 Military Experts or Observers cannot deal with anything especially since their mandate is not yet there; as the negotiations with the Burundian government are under way, the Burundian government wants as little or no meddling in their internal affairs; and with that in mind they have stifled the ability to have international peacekeepers in the country. Even if the UN Mission in Burundi with their 100 Peacekeepers, how much more power will they compared to the counterparts in Rwanda in 1993-1994? I doubt the Burundian Government will give up sovereignty and let them play national Police and Army over them. As they have Army Forces in Peacekeeping mission themselves in Somalia and Central African Republic.

Burundian President Nkurunziza said this in late December 2015: “Everybody should respect the borders of Burundi. If the troops are in violation of this decision, they will have attacked Burundi, and each Burundian must stand up to fight them” (…)”The country will have been attacked, and we will fight them” (…)”You cannot send troops to a country if the United Nations Security Council has not accepted it… the UN resolution says the international community should respect the independence of Burundi” (Daily Monitor, 2015).

Now yesterday the new Resolution said they would extend the Military Experts (Observers) which counters the words and arguments used by the President in December 2015. That an Resolution from the United Nation would change the matter, even the resolution is so vague and non-descriptive as it even in dialogue with the Burundian Government:

“…urges the Government of Burundi and other concerned stakeholders to provide them with full cooperation in order to facilitate the implementation of their mandate” (UN Resolution 2279, 2016).

Burundi-Museveni-Nkurunziza

This gives way to Burundian Government to do as they see fit in their sovereign territory while the Peacekeeping mission of United Nations will have little power or mandate to address, because we already knows that President Nkurunziza have little interest in having a powerful mandate to the United Nations Peacekeeping mission as he already wanted to attack the African Union planned Peacekeeping mission in the Country.

The 100 people of the UN Peacekeeping mission will in this state, and with this sort of arrangement and resolution gives lots of responsibility towards the Burundian Government, and will certainly not made in way that is adjusted to the concerns of the United Nation Security Council.

This resolution gives little or no direct mandate to the United Nations Mission and gives way for negotiations for the Burundian Government. Therefore the start of it is flawed and leaves possibilities of being a minor sting of pride for President Nkurunziza; as much as it was for President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda in 1993; to have a peacekeeping mission in his country. But if it has limited power or even reach, and with little manpower as it have, the worry for the Burundian government not necessary have to be there. Because the United Nation Mission can’t or doesn’t have the ability to stop anything; just peeping and monitoring at best; as much as the Human Rights workers that are parts of the Mission. The Military experts will be lame ducks, while waiting for a secure mandate. A mandate that the Government of Burundi not wanting to give them, as that will take away their sovereignity as a state and nation. Peace.  

Reference:

Daily Monitor – ‘Nkurunziza warns he would fight AU peacekeepers’ (30.12.2015) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Nkurunziza-warns-fight-AU-peacekeepers-/-/688340/3015170/-/k7p15vz/-/index.html

United Nation  – ‘Uganda-Rwanda-UNOMOR Background’

Police still deployed at Besigye’s home despite despite order to withdraw (Youtube-Clip)

“in spite of Gen. Kale Kayihura’s directive, the police are still deployed at Dr. Kizza Be-sigye’s home. Kasangati DPC James Kawalya said he was yet to receive an official or-der to withdraw. Besigye’s lawyer David Mpanga said they will continue to pursue the case requesting the police to leave his client’s home” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

Uganda State House says its broke, asks parliament for Shs70Bn (Youtube-Clip)

“Parliament has learnt that State House is broke with little or no money to manage the travels of the president, four months to the close of the 2015/2016 financial year. State House is asking for 70 billion shillings as a supplementary budget to fund the the presidency. State House comptroller Lucy Nakyobe who is the accounting officer informed the parliamentary budget committee that the funds budgeted to be used up to June this were spent by the President during the presidential campaigns” (NTV Uganda, 2016).

NRM National Campaign Taskforce Payment Voucher - Daily Allowance NR2

NRM National Campaign Taskforce Payment Voucher - Daily Allowance

Newspapers Same Scandal Uganda

Well, more to come on the spent monies. There will surely be reports proving the total spending on the Campaign by the President. Peace.

(In Pictures) Besigye had A Mid-Night Stroll in Kasangati tonight and also his statement on the continued House-Arrest; My second take on IGP Kayihura who lied to the Public on Besigye’s dire situation!

02.04. 2016 Besigye P1

Dr. Kizza Besigye Statement after midnight at Kasangati:

“IGP Kayihura once again deceived Ugandans today that I’d been freed. It was fools day anyway!!! I took the pictures here after midnight- on 2nd April 2016. It terrible to have a leader of a police force that breaks the law routinely and willfully; that seems to enjoy telling lies; and that has no regard for the opinion of others!”

02.04. 2016 Besigye P2

And here his last released picture to the Public from Kasangati:

Kasangati 02.04.2016 Police

FDC Statement on it earlier in the day on the 1st  of April 2016:

“What was an open secret that Mr. kale Kayihura had instructed his policemen to move away from Dr. Kizza Besigye’s home has now turned into a fat lie, the Uganda Police Force has actually multiplied in number”.

My take on it: 

IGP Kale Kayihura of the Ugandan Police Force might have had the ability to fool some people. But the pictures and the manifestation of the Police Officer talking in the phone while monitoring Dr. Kizza Besigey should be send a clear message, while they talked about the leaving the premises of Besigye’s gate and compound; they still have the metal-teeth and the Police Officers squatting in reach of the gate and still having the ability to check-in everybody who enters and leaves his home. So Practically the House Arrest never stopped and the illegal detention and unlawful detaining of the FDC Presidential Candidate and the man who never had the ability to really content the result of the February 2016 Presidential Elections have been sufficed to his own gates and home without being the ordinary man who can walk to work or even go out to buy his food. This has been going for over 40 days, since straight before the Election Day on the 18th February. So you know that the Police Force is still besieging the Compound at Kasangati.

Truly and clearly the IGP Kayihura lied and tried to deceive so that his master and the Government could work in Peace and hopefully without issues from the outside world; as even the U.S. Mission talked about progressing toward democratic elections in recent statement. I am paraphrasing the U.S. Mission, but that is in general what the army ally wrote as the Post-Election Period is going away and “ordinary” State of Affairs resumes before the swearing-in and the 10th Parliament sessions starts. As paraphrasing is not good enough here is actually the main quote in my opinon from the United States Embassy that is worth noticing.

Kasangati 02.04.2016 Police P2

Here what the U.S. Mission in Kampala says in their Statement to the Public:

“The U.S. Embassy notes today’s Supreme Court ruling affirming the results of Uganda’s February 18 presidential vote that saw President Yoweri Museveni re-elected to his fifth term. We encourage all Ugandans to respect the Court’s decision, and express their views in a peaceful manner” (U.S. Embassy of Kampala, 31.03.2016).

Certainly one thing is clear. The House Arrest of Dr. Kizza Besigye never happen and the orders from above would not let that happen, as he is the epitome of everything President Museveni is not, a legitimate leader compared to Executive; who have to House Arrest his main opponents. Peace.