Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 Police Hold Besigye in His Car :: Uganda Radionetwork
Police intercepted Besigye Thursday morning shortly after living his residence where he spent six days under preventive arrest to stop him from leading protests against the high commodity prices.
Business is at a
standstill in Kasangati town council in Wakiso district following a standoff
between the police and Dr. Kizza Besigye, the former Forum for Democratic
Change-FDC party president. Police have successfully
blocked Besigye from rallying residents to rise against the soaring commodity
prices.
Police intercepted Besigye Thursday morning shortly after living his
residence where he spent six days under preventive arrest to stop him from
leading protests against the high commodity prices.
The four-time
presidential candidate, who is currently leading the pressure group dubbed the “People's
Front for Transition” told journalists that he intends to spend his very last breath
to wake up Ugandans to unite and force those in power to intervene and stabilize
commodity prices.
//Cue in: "Effort
that is...
Cue out...saves them,"//
Luganda byte
//Cue in: "Nga
bwetwayogera..
Cue out...egwangwa lyaffe,"//
Dr. Besigye, who is
mainly targeting the youth also launched a resistance song, which he said will
be played across the country as a united voice for the oppressed. Composed by
Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaaku, the lyrics of the song call upon Uganda to wake
up and save themselves and the country at large.
Luganda byte
//Cue in; "Munaffe
ono...
Cue out...egenda
kubamalawo,"//
Shortly after addressing
journalists, Dr. Besigye jumped in his land cruiser, whose windscreens are
sealed by wire mesh and mounted with megaphones, and tried to make his way to
Kampala via Kampala-Gayaza road. However, a team of police officers cut him off
as they blocked his vehicle at the front and back using patrol vehicles.
They
also erected barricades using spikes to stop Besigye from continuing with his
planned journey. The officers dispersed
pockets of residents who had lined up along the road to cheer Besigye while
singing the resistance song.
Unlike the previous
encounters where police would use brutal force to disperse any form of protest,
this time around the officers pleaded with the residents to leave the streets and
return to their respective homes.
The officers restrained themselves from using
force even when the residents lit bonfires in the middle of the road. At one point, some junior
officers wanted to use force but their commanders restrained them. An
unidentified police commander slapped one of the Field Force Unit officers who
was trying to beat up people on the roadside.
As police tried to sweet talk
residents to vacate the streets, some of the residents instead asked the
officers to join their efforts to compel the government to address the runaway
commodity prices.
Vox pop
//Cue in; "Embera eno...
Cue out...muwogo kati aliludawa?"//
The police were puzzled
for close to five hours on how to deal with Besigye who barricaded himself
inside his vehicle. The officers repeatedly grabbed the microphone he was using
to address the residents to try and stop him in vain as he would immediately pick another and continue with his speech.
To ensure that Besigye stop airing
his message, the officers confiscated his con speakers. Later on, the officers
left Besigye to stay in his car under the scorching sunshine, saying that heat
will eventually force him out. However, by the time of filing this story, Besigye
was still barricaded in the vehicle together with the other occupants. Earlier, Besigye
challenged police for infringing on his rights and freedoms.
Although he
thanked the Uganda Human rights commission for their intervention when they
learned about his illegal detention in his own home, he challenged the
commission to publicly state that the police are making illegal maneuvers.
//Cue in;
"commissioner of the...
Cue out...what is wrong,"//
The prices of essential
commodities have been on the rise since this year began affecting millions of Ugandans
who are struggling to recover from the prolonged lockdown triggered by the
COVID-19 pandemic. The government has turned
a deaf ear to numerous calls to arrest the situation. Government officials
blame the price increase on the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and
the raging war in Ukraine.
However, Besigye says
leaders need to be reminded that they have the duty to make interventions to
help the citizenry to survive the economic shock. He has also called on the government
to reduce the huge public expenditure, reclaim stolen funds from corrupt
officials so as to enhance the salaries of civil servants, and give relief to
schools among other affected segments of society.
President Yoweri Museveni
is expected to address the Nation on the current economic situation, according
to Lindah Nabusayi, the senior presidential press secretary. However, in his
previous address, President Museveni advised Ugandans to stop complaining about
the high commodity prices and resort to the cheaper alternatives like eating
cassava if bread is expensive, which stirred emotions in the country.