Besigye, Lukwago arrested as police foil Opposition Independence fete
Besigye argues with a police officer at his home in Kasangati shortly before he was bundled on a waiting police van and whisked away. Courtesy photo
Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago have reportedly been arrested.
Besigye is said to have been arrested on Sunday morning as he tried to leave his home in Kasangati in Wakiso District, bundled in a waiting police van and whisked away to unknown destination.
The former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate was arrested as he set out to attend scheduled parallel Independence Day celebrations in Katwe, a Kampala suburb.
Efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson Andrew Keweesi or Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Emillian Kayima failed.
Besigye was arrested at his home in Kasangati, Wakiso District and bundled into a waiting police van before he was whisked away. Courtesy photo
However, government had earlier warned opposition members against holding parallel Independence Day celebrations saying it reserves the right to organise the day and all other national festivities.
Police has also cordoned off the venue where FDC independence activities were supposed to take place.
On Friday, police backed by the army foiled the first of planned series of Independence Day Opposition rallies by detaining key Opposition leaders in their homes and cordoning off the venue.
Friday’s planned assembly in Bweyogerere, Wakiso District, near Kampala was to be followed by another on Saturday in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb.
This was to be crowned by a national rally today (Sunday) in Katwe in Kampala to renew what Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party termed as their “[efforts] in the fight for good governance in this country”.
