The Police Force and the authorities in Jinja could have been wise. Especially, since there been such a silence about the Nalufenya Police Station and the dungeons there. Which has been known for torture, arbitrary arrests and preventative methods used their.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) with their partisan police force has today reminded the word about Nalufenya. The one that was under scrutiny in 2017 and early 2018. However, that has gone in book of forgotten sins. Since then, the state has apparently continued to operate the place, but without issues in Parliament nor questions from the Police Force itself.
IGP Okoth-Ochola was supposed to close the Nalufenya in April 2018. However, if it had been so. Than, Dr. Kizza Besigye wouldn’t be detained there today on the 20th January 2020. That is close to two years, when it was supposed to be closed.
Now, we cannot expect the Police Force, neither IGP nor any of the authorities will stop using Nalufenya. As it is a prepared torture chamber and prison cells for silencing critics. The state will keep this place alive, because it needs it as a scare-crow and also a useful tool.
Therefore, we are seeing a repetition and the state repeating old sins again. They are using all their tools to stop Besigye. They will keep him there for while, maybe transfer him to Nagalama Police Station or somewhere else fitting. Before even sentencing him to Luzira Prison. Who knows?
But we are now seeing, that the Police Force are keeping one their most infamous places. One who is known for torture and illegal detention. They have kept Nalufenya alive. That is a warning sign.
A sign of trouble ahead for General Elections 2021, as the state are using this to scare the ones who oppose and dare to challenge it. Peace.
There is a cost fighting dictatorship, there is cost fighting a tyrant and military government, that is something someone like Dr. Kizza Besigye knows. He doesn’t just know, but he has meet the force, been house-arrested, been detained, been indicted and charged. Besigye have meet everything, seen any prison-cell and been in any kind of trial. Therefore, nothing is new to Besigye, he has been there and tried. He has taken the pain, the cost and torture, he has been mentally challenged and physical by the authorities. However, that haven’t stopped his attitude and will to continue the struggle.
This is a man who has battled the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ever since he left the party, ever since the cabinet and the government position. As one of them who rebelled against the Resistance Party. He rebelled against the NRM and President, who he considered to forget his place and his mission, as it became self-serving and self-interest, not being a government by and for the people.
That is why he has to pay the price of being arrested over a 1000 times, incarcerated 217 times and indicted for 814 offenses. If this isn’t seen as a massive number, than nothing is. What is more striking is that Besigye have achieved this by leaving the NRM by 1999.
That is only 19 years to be in legal trouble. By this rate he has been arrested 53 times each year. Incarcerated 11 times each year and indicted 47 times each year. If you don’t find this stats staggering. I don’t know what will.
What is more special, is that he isn’t a criminal or felon of petty crimes. He isn’t a pickpocket or a terrorist. Even if he has numbers that would seem so. He is just the arch-nemesis of the President. The man who has gotten into trouble, by being the total opposite of the President. That is why he has landed in so much legal trouble and the state has used all tools to suppress his voice and work. Therefore, expect more to come.
This is a proof of what extent the NRM regime and state does to one person. How much of the freedom, liberty and lack of justice there is.
Besigye is the proof of that. Just look at the numbers alone. They have been created by a margin of 19 years. That is surely some amazing stats. But also sad too, as this is one mans life and his cause. To rebel not only against a dictatorship, but also being a political operative in the midst of tyranny. Where people are even mocking for being detained and house-arrested, because it is so common.
They should understand it and swallow the idea. See the amount and wonder if this could happen to them. Sadly it could, but would they dare to stand beside Besigye in the fight? Would they? Or are they leaving him be in the fight against oppression?
Seemingly, the People Power are working for the same, hopefully Besigye and Bobi Wine can work together, dismantling this oppressive regime. Because all forces of hope needs to work together to reach the destination. But will they and are they ready for the cost?
Besigye has already paid the dividend for years, are other people ready to follow suit? Peace.
I don’t know how many cases pending on the former Presidential Candidate and former President of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Neither the amount of time spent in jail, arrested, detained or even charged with various of crimes. If it wasn’t for him being a mere politician. I would be thinking this man was the biggest criminal gracing planet earth. Because this man has been taken into custody, preventative arrested, house-arrested, ambushed and taken from whenever at whatever time. This man has gotten the full brutal meeting with the police. He has had his doze of tear-gas, shattered car-glass, broken bones and air-lifted between Prisons. Sadly, enough all of this is to easily to remember. Just the amount that is impossible. Because the state has been relentless and ruthless against this man.
Dr. Kizza Besigye has gone through for the cause. Today, or Yesterday, one of his car was finally allowed to leave the Compound of Kasangati Police Station. A place where he spent plenty of hours, also in Mukono Police Station and Old Jinja Road Police Station. This man has been put in plenty of jails and cells, over the years. That because of his fight against the dictatorship and the NRM. Which has viciously gone against him.
Now, it is evident that one of his cars are returned after being four years on the compound of the Police Station. In the same town and not far from his farm. It was not like it was left in Lira to rot or in Kabale. No, it was stationed in Kasangati, Wakiso District for four years on a pending case. That got dropped. Just like plenty of other forged and malicious cases pinned on the man.
They have charged him are only missing charging the political operative with jaywalking, trespassing and kissing the wrong bride. Since they have really charged him with everything at every single time. They have taken away his aides, they have brutally assaulted his drivers and they have arrested the activists around him. At some point made the political party “illegal” and also stopped all internal works of the party. Which they are doing to this day, to the new Party President Patrick Amuriat Oboi, who cannot function or meet leaders of others districts without being blocked by the Police.
The same police and DPP who is now giving back former evidence and impounded car after 4 years. After they have nearly destroyed another car and even installed monitoring equipment on to surveillance the man in 2016. They are really showing their true character. They just kept it for so long, just to insult the man and show their power. Not because of rule of law. No, this was a display of confidence and that they can take away things.
That they have done to him all the time. He has even struggled to go to the bank to deposit and check his balance. There isn’t anything the state hasn’t done, which haven’t been petty and vindictive concerning this man.
They have never left the man alone, as example of the costs it is to challenge the tyranny of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. If you don’t follow you end up in Nalufenya or SIU Kireka or anywhere else he can detain you. With the only reason, being your standing up him and his rule.
The Prime example is Besigye. That is the truth. Peace.
What can we can conclude is that the Police Force in Yumbe District has arrested about 60 people and two individuals seriously injured (some reports dead) after bullets hit the scene. The Police Force statements and the Uganda Revenue Authority statements doesn’t add-up. While the Police are saying the URA had an enforcement operation there, the URA counter-claim it and says there was none.
However, there has imports of illegal rice in this case, that created the havoc seen today in Yumbe, as both statements refers to it. The URA legal team, who encountered the boda-bodas with it, who was stoned for interfering with it. While the Police Force are not addressing directly the illegal rice, but that URA was looking at the number plates and lack of tax on the motorcycles.
Before the crowd and masses of people rioted, burning both motorcycles and a car belonging to the Danish Aid in the town. The end of the statement clarifies that the URA was there to collect taxes on the imported rice, and that the motorcycle drivers has to pay the state. Also that URA will continue this operations in the West Nile region.
The Police has said they will engage with the Boda Boda Industry and community, as of this incident. What is special, is one saying it was not paid for the motorcycle, the URA saying it was because of the lack of taxes on imports on the motorcycle. It is a small difference, but still one. We can wonder what was the truth.
What we do know, is that the Police has arrested a dozen of people and two killed, some say they were just hurt. Hard to know what is the fact. 103.2 Open Gate FM reported this earlier in the day: “Two people are reported dead in Yumbe District following a protest by youth in the area against operations of the Uganda Revenue Authority-URA. The protests were sparked by a URA operation against unregistered bodas bodas, in the event apprehending residents in the business. The operation became sour when the URA vehicle knocked down a bodaboda cyclist, making bodabodas to become rowdy by burning several vehicles prompting police to fire bullets. URA Manager Public and Corporate Affairs, Ian Rumanyika said the Authority was cracking down on unregistered boa bodas as well as those smuggles from South Sudan without reverting tax” (103.2 Open Gate FM, 28.03.2018).
So it wasn’t a peaceful initiating, as the URA Management followed and tracked the Boda Boda down. Knocked it and the Police intervened in the operation. The report of Open Gate, also say the URA was doing both, not just stopping the smuggling from South Sudan, but also look into the tags, which hadn’t paid tax. Secondly, they are saying that the URA team drove after the Boda Boda and actually knocked one down. That isn’t just fining and taking the tags, not only checking the products or rice, but actually nearly impounding it. This has been done without forewarning or local knowledge. If not this wouldn’t have happen.
So the URA are now combating illegal imports and also unregistered boda boda’s. Clearly, there have to be better methods, since this became violent, and the following after and knocking down. Was a final spark, since the URA Management created havoc on the way and than the Police intervened with guns, as the youth was throwing stones. When the violent activity transpired they addressed it with throwing stones and also burning cars.
Whatever it was, it shows the lack of oversight and the lack of basic understanding. It is natural for a state to tax imports, also serve taxes on plates, yearly pay for being able to drive on the roads. Both actions are normal, but if the URA Management did the right thing, if the Police Force did the same. Can be questioned and should be.
What should also be asked, would there be a better way to collect the missed tax and also secure the porous border points, so the Boda Boda can pay the levies when entering into Uganda again. Secondly, the URA should be able to notify the drivers of their missing payments and not knock them down for doing so.
We will see with time, if the stories are changing or if they will stay the same. However, this is worrying sight of the state of affairs. When collecting taxes becomes a stand-off, you know something is wrong. Peace.
“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.” – Aberjhani, (Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays).
After the hectic usage of the Crime Preventers in the run-up for the General Election in 2016, they are suddenly relevant again. Even after the state are failing with funds and such. The National Resistance Movement, still seems to need several more guns and soldiers out there walking in the streets of Uganda. That is how it seems, but however now it has changed from being part of the Uganda Police Force, into a brigade from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). That means the Generals will control it and order it, not the Police. That is very different animal if this happens.
Reported by 411UG today: ““I now regard you as a reserve army for UPDF. My idea is to have a small army which is equipped but with a big reserve”, Museveni stated in his address at Lugogo Arena. However, before saying so, President Museveni refuted rumours surrounding ‘who owns them’ he said; “Anybody who had an idea that this was a Kayihura project, please, get it out of your head. But Kayihura was an active cadre who executed that aspect and I congratulate him.” (411UG – ‘I now regard you as a reserve army for UPDF — Museveni tells crime preventers’ 28.03.2018).
What President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is distancing himself from the statements the Uganda Police Force did during campaigns of 2015, when the UPF stated this: “Uganda Police Force has learnt with profound disappointment that a Facebook group called Team JPAM 2016 has referred to ‘Crime Preventers’ as a militia force, as if that was not enough, they have also drawn comparisons of it with the infamous Rwandan genocidaire group called The Interahamwe who were responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in the history of mankind. Amid this outrageous ill-motivated accusations, we thought it was important that Ugandans understand that the concept of community policing has always been there and contemplated for implementation, as way back as 1990. It is a metamorphose of the ‘Nyumba Kumi’. Those who are old enough will remember that Nyumba Kumi works on the premise that each community must be able to be self-reliant on security matters. In fact though Nyumba Kumi means ‘ten houses’ in Swahili, the concept is not rigid in its implementation. Again those of pertinent age will remember that visitors and or any new person in a given community was required to register and deposit their IDs with the chairman or the police” (Uganda Police Force – ‘CRIME PREVENTERS ARE NOT A MILITIA FORCE’ 22.03.2018).
So if they are reserves to the UPDF, that means Amama Mbabazi was actual going forward, because the accusation is now true. That means the Crime Preventers will become a brigade, another force under the UPDF. They are militia under the army, they are secondary army and brigades when in need. That means they shouldn’t be involved in policing, but national security. That is if the difference between the police and army is respected. This also means, that the Police Force getting less extra officers, since the changes of program should come swiftly, also the change in mandate of the Crime Preventers.
This is also not in line what he himself said in 2016: ““In all modern countries, there is an Army and Police Reserve. Crime Preventers are a Police Reserve. They do not have any political affiliation. Anyone who wants to become a Crime Preventer should join,” he said. Mr. Museveni reassured the country that there will be no violence during elections. “The law guarantees a peaceful election. It says what is wrong and should not be done during elections. If you do what should not be done, we will arrest you. Soldiers are not yet deployed but they will soon be,” he said” (PPU – ‘ President Museveni: Crime preventers are a Police Reserve Force’ 14.02.2016).
So two years ago, they we’re a Police Reserve, now it has changed, the army needs reserves, the army needs to be bolstered for apparent reasons unknown to mankind. The UPDF needs the extra personnel, that the UPF cannot pay for, the UPDF has budgets for extended personnel and firepower. Certainly, there is something underlining the will of the President. That he is willingly using the Crime Preventers as military reserves. That means, they will follow orders from the military and not from the new leadership of UPF. Meaning they are going from one security organization into another, where the mandate and meaning is different.
This means the Police are now having less people associated with it, this is winging the organization and establishing another norm. We can wonder if the brigade and that the National Crime Preventers Forum (NCPF), that was established in 2013, meaning that the mandate and will of this organization too, needs to change if it supposed to make sense. The Community Policing will not make sense, if they are a military brigade, unless he want to show military force and spread fear. That tehe soldiers will be with guns and ammunition in the streets, to show that the NRM has big enough force to continue their rule, therefore, you never know when you meet a UPDF Crime Preventer. The former Community Policing officer who coordinating directly with the Police. Should now be in direct line with the military. That is because their mission changed.
We can wonder what the need for a military reserve, how come? Is there a war brewing the world doesn’t know about? Does Museveni plans to invade the Democratic Republic of Congo, again? Does Museveni plan to intervene with soldiers in South Sudan, again? What is the use of extra and more soldiers in reserve, that was previous community police officers through the Crime Preventers Program.
Because, it doesn’t make sense to conduct fighting internal policing and being military at the same time. They are two vast different approach to both organizations within the community, the army to secure the borders and people from outsider invading, also being a securing element. That stops the neighbors from wanting to cross the borders. While the police who has the allowed space of investigating and combating crime within the territory, they are also securing the safety directly in the territory. Therefore, seeing the Crime Preventers becoming part of the army, means that the mandate change.
This means that Museveni is up to something. I don’t know what, but it smells fishy. I just don’t know what. Peace.
MinBane 