State bans Mbabazi meetings, terms them illegal

Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. PHOTO | FILE 

By FRED OLUOCH

In Summary

• Ugandans are waiting to see how Mr Mbabazi will handle the intimidation, given the harassment and physical assaults that were meted out to Kizza Besigye of Forum for Democratic Change when he tried to unseat President Museveni on three occasions.

A fresh round of confrontation between Ugandan authorities and the opposition is expected next week if former prime minister Amama Mbabazi starts his scheduled meet-the-people tours, which the government has declared illegal.

Ugandans are waiting to see how Mr Mbabazi — who is challenging President Yoweri Museveni for the ruling party’s presidential ticket for next year’s election — will handle the intimidation, given the harassment and physical assaults that were meted out to Kizza Besigye of Forum for Democratic Change when he tried to unseat President Museveni on three occasions.

Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura officially wrote to Mr Mbabazi warning him that his proposed tours will be deemed illegal meetings, because his party, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), has neither sponsored nor endorsed him as an aspirant.

But unlike Mr Besigye who is in the opposition, Mr Mbabazi is still a member of the ruling party credited with authoring the Public Order Management Bill, which parliament enacted into law.

The Bill says the Inspector General of Police or an authorised officer has the power to regulate the conduct of all public meetings. Those intending to hold public gatherings must give notice of at least three days. An authorised officer may prevent or stop the holding of public meeting if the holders have not given notice, and order the public to disperse.

Mr Mbabazi, a lawyer, argues that the law does not give the police the right to stop his meetings as it only requires him to inform them of his activities, and therefore he does not require permission from the Inspector General of Police.

Mr Mbabazi had given notice to the police that he would conduct countrywide meet-the-people tours between July and August, to campaign for the post of the NRM presidential candidate come party nominations to be held in September. 

Supporters arrested

Already, more than 30 supporters of Mr Mbabazi have been arrested across the country for supporting his candidature.

The former prime minister has now hired 500 lawyers to represent his supporters following the arrests, and to deal with any other altercations that may occur with the authorities when he starts his countrywide tours.

His lawyer, Severino Twinobusingye, told the media that the lawyers will provide legal representation for all victims of human-rights violations, and that he has instituted legal proceedings against police officers who defaced Mr Mbabazi’s posters and destroyed his campaign T-shirts.

President Museveni signed the Public Order Management Act into law on September 12, 2013, but human-rights organiations criticised it for not ensuring that the right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly were safeguarded.

On June 18, the Ugandan Electoral Commission gave Mr Mbabazi the go-ahead to consult the electorate, but added a rider that campaigns for elective positions will only begin after the electoral body nominates candidates for the elective posts. The candidates will be nominated on October 5 and 6.

The opposition is waiting to see the outcome of the challenge between the two NRM functionaries — one backed by state machinery, and the other by activists rooting for change and the independent media. 

Mr Mbabazi appears to have anticipated the hurdles the government is likely to place in his way. On June 16, he wrote to the Electoral Commission listing the areas he will be touring.