Police warn FDC officials over Dr Besigye return
L-R Former Leader of Opposition Wafula Oguttu, FDC secretary for mobilisation Ingrid Turinawe and FDC secretary for defence Sadiq Amin during the party’s weekly press conference at the party headquarters at Najjanankumbi, in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ABUABKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Police warned FDC not to go ahead with the planned procession as he denied knowledge of the said letter.
- Dr Besigye was last month invited by the FDC UK Chapter in London.
Kampala- Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has announced that it would lead a long procession of its supporters to Entebbe Airport to welcome Dr Kizza Besigye this Thursday as police warn against the planned procession.
Speaking at the release of the official programme for the return of former FDC presidential candidate, who has been out of the country for a month now, the former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Wafula Oguttu, said Besigye is expected to jet into the country on Thursday at 8.30am aboard a Kenya Airways flight .
He said they are mobilising several party officials and supporters who will be at Entebbe International airport to receive him.
Dr Besigye was last month invited by the
Besigye in UK for post-Museveni lecture
Dr Besigye last spoke in London on August 27
living in the UK about the current situation in the country. He also addressed another Ugandan community in the USA about national dialogue.
“FDC supporters and the party leadership feel it is time to welcome Dr Besigye and also to thank him for a job well done’’ Mr Oguttu told a weekly media briefing yesterday.
Mr Oguttu said Dr Besigye had addressed different forums while in the UK and US on the issues that have transpired in the country over the past several months, defending that he deserved a “heroine welcome”.
defending that he deserved a “heroine welcome”.
He also indicated yesterday that FDC had on September 23 written a letter notifying police about their intended activities.
“We have already notified the police that we shall be welcoming our beloved leader and police have been asked to make sure that traffic is moving smoothly,’’ Mr Oguttu said.
However, police spokesperson, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi, warned FDC not to go ahead with the planned procession as he denied knowledge of the said letter.
He instead advised the party to align its programme with the provisions of the Public Order Management Act where they are mandated to seek authorisation from police.
He explained that Entebbe Highway is a busy road and such a huge procession would disrupt traffic flow and inconvenience the public.
“Let whatever is being done be executed within the law and we cannot allow any body to hold an assembly on Entebbe Road because it is a high way and the law does not allow any assembly on public high ways,’’ Mr Kaweesi said. He warned that while Besigye has the right to return to his country just like any other Ugandan, “ he should not infringe on other people’s rights in doing so”.
According to the programme, Besigye will address journalists at Entebbe Airport and thereafter head to the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi where he will address the leaders before proceeding to his home in Kasangati.
