Mugumya mistreated in DR Congo jail - Besigye

People clamber to shake hands with the former FDC president, Dr Kiiza Besigye, in Mbarara District at the weekend. PHOTO BY COLLEB MUGUME

What you need to know:

Dr Kiiza Besigye accuses the government of not bothering to secure the release of his aide, Mr Sam Mugumya, and four other Ugandans who he says are being held in a DR Congo jail illegally.

MBARARA- Former Forum Democratic Change party president, Dr Kiiza Besigye, has said his aide, Mr Sam Mugumya, and four other Ugandans are being held in the Democratic Republic of Congo in very bad conditions.

Mr Mugumya went missing in October last year before Congolese and Uganda army officials announced he was being held in DR Congo where he was arrested with his colleagues.

“We have never known, we have never established how Mugumya came to be held in Congo. We were informed that he was in Congo. The last time he was seen, he was in his home district of Rukungiri. We don’t know whether he was captured from there, but he has since been held in Congo. We have confirmed where he is,” Dr Besigye said in Mbarara District at the weekend.

He added: “He is held in a military establishment in a place called Ndolo near Kinsasha (DR Congo capital city). Conditions in that prison are very bad; they even have no space where to sleep, no food or medical care. They are in very bad condition,” Dr Besigye said.

He said they are trying hard to get lawyers in Uganda who will work with a legal team in DR Congo to fight for their release.

“Clearly Uganda government is not concerned yet these are five citizens of Uganda being held illegally in another country and our regime here does not seem to care at all,” he said.

Dr Besigye said he was being approached by several people who want to contribute money to help them.

He urged those willing to contribute towards their welfare and their eventual release to channel the assistance through FDC leaders.

He made the remarks during the Save a Mother’s Life campaign organised by FDC women league, where 115 expectant mothers were given Mama Kit, an all-in-one safe delivery package.

Responding to Dr Besigye’s complaint, Mr Ofwono Opondo, the government spokesperson, accused Mr Besigye of telling lies.

“Besigye is telling a lie...when I first broke that story (on social media) that Mr Mugumya had been arrested, he (Besigye) denied it. He (Mr Mugumya) is in Congo irregularly because he has no documents indicating that he is conducting legal business there,” Mr Opondo said.

“But we don’t have an extradition treaty with Congo. Our prayer is that Mugumya gets tried but we can’t set a timetable for that to happen. The DRC government said he was found conducting rebel activities,” he added.

He, however, said government is providing help to the detained Ugandans through the Ugandan ambassador to the Congo. “We are proving consular services to him (Mugumya) through our ambassador there (in Congo),” he said.