Police raid Besigye’s home, take him to unknown place

Former FDC president Kizza Besigye after being arrested near his home in Kasangati, Kampala suburb, last year. PHOTO | NMG 

By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi The Citizen Correspondent

In Summary

Colleagues of Dr Besigye accused the police of raiding his home and arresting him without cause. However, police claimed Dr Besigye was arrested for knocking a police vehicle.

Kampala.Police have arrested the former leader of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Dr Kizza Besigye, at his home in Kasangati and whisked him off to an unknown place.

Colleagues of Dr Besigye accused the police of raiding his home and arresting him without cause. However, police claimed Dr Besigye was arrested for knocking a police vehicle.

“This was the first time they (police) have entered his compound by force and we are now scared what they may do next,” Mr Francis Mwijukye, Dr Besigye’s assistant, who claimed he witnessed the arrest, said.

Mr Mwijukye said the security personnel first grabbed Dr Besigye’s car key before arresting him and towing away the vehicle from his compound. Dr Besigye was driven to a destination we had not established by press time.

“They arrested him from his home and drove away with him at a terrible speed, without telling us where they were taking him,” Ms Ingrid Turinawe, the leader of the FDC Women League, said. She said she was on the way to Naggalama Police Station to check whether Dr Besigye had been taken there. Asked why Dr Besigye had been arrested, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ibin Senkumbi said the opposition leader had knocked a police vehicle.

“Besigye has caused an accident. He knocked a police car which was manning a police check-point, injuring police officers,” Mr Ssenkumbi said. He said the police checkpoint was on a road in Kasangati but did not give more details as to the exact road and the circumstances of the alleged accident or the particulars of the police vehicle knocked.

Mr Senkumbi said Dr Besigye had been detained for questioning but he did not disclose where the FDC founding president was being held.

Dr Besigye’s colleagues said he was arrested as he prepared to go to the High Court where Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was waiting for a ruling on a petition challenging his impeachment by the Kampala City Council Authority councillors. (NMG)