Besigye provoked police with defiance - minister
A police officer sprays pepper into former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye’s, car in Kireka on Jinja Road on November 4. Inset is Gen Jeje Odongo. FILE PHOTOS
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, has claimed that former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Dr Kizza Besigye, provoked police through his defiance when he was violently arrested in Kireka, a Kampala outskirt.
In a statement to Parliament yesterday, Gen Odongo said: “The police had no choice but to use force to remove Dr Besigye and other occupants out of the vehicle.”
The minister was responding to queries about the police highhandedness against the Opposition gatherings, especially those organised by FDC.
On November 4, Dr Besigye was brutally arrested together with his driver, Mr Fred Kato, and 56 other party members after police blocked a party meeting at Mandela National Stadium Namboole.
A water cannon directed at Dr Besigye nearly threw him off his car to the ground.
He was arrested and detained at Naggalama Police Station in Mukono District where he was charged with inciting violence and obstructing a road. Following the events, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Ms Betty Aol Ocan, tasked government to explain the use of excessive force against the Opposition despite the prevailing multi-party political dispensation.
Gen Moses Ali, the First Deputy Prime Minister, said government respects political pluralism, but warned of negative actors attempting to fill the political playing field with violence. He, however, promised to task Gen Odongo to explain the matter further.
Gen Odongo’s statement indicates that the Opposition should be blamed for the violence.
The minister claims that on November 4, Dr Besigye and his followers after being denied access to Namboole stadium, chose to cause commotion by blocking the road leading to Kampala.
According to Gen Odongo, this prompted the police to intercept Dr Besigye’s procession at Spear Motors junction at Nakawa where he was roughed up and arrested.
Gen Odongo asked all citizens and political actors to support police.
The statement will be debated today.
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