Prime
Besigye accuses Police of tormenting him in 2016
Political activist Dr Kizza Besigye appears before Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal on May 22, 2023. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The four-time presidential candidate said shortly after the 2016 presidential polls, which he participated on the ticket of opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), he was at the party’s head office in a meeting with other members. The members in the meeting included then party president Rtd Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, former Secretary for mobilisation, Ms Ingrid Turinawe and Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa.
Political activist Dr Kizza Besigye yesterday told the Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal that one of the four commissioners on the panel to hear out his human rights abuse complaint was part of the Police Force that tormented him.
Dr Besigye had appeared before a four-member commission panel led by Ms Mariam Wangadya for the hearing of his complaint.
He is seeking compensation for the alleged torture and house detention shortly after the contested 2016 presidential polls in which he came second after President Museveni.
Dr Besigye said Mr Simeo Nsubuga, a UHRC commissioner, was part of the Force that tormented him.
Adding: “The commission is privileged because one of the commissioners, Mr Nsubuga prior to this (his appointment to the commission), was a policeman and in fact some of the challenges we had he was quite involved.”
Mr Lamex Omara Anita and Ms Shifrah Lukwago are also on the panel.
The four-time presidential candidate said shortly after the 2016 presidential polls, which he participated on the ticket of opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), he was at the party’s head office in a meeting with other members. The members in the meeting included then party president Rtd Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, former Secretary for mobilisation, Ms Ingrid Turinawe and Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa.
“We were at the time receiving results coming in from our agents across the country and considering what response to make to what was clearly very deferring results that were coming in than those read at Namboole, we were arrested by AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi (RIP),” Besigye said.
He claimed that shortly after Kaweesi left the party offices, they were arrested and bundled onto a waiting police van.
“We were driven to Nagalama Police station where we were detained for some hours. We were later in the night driven to our respective homes. We reached my Kasaganti home at 10pm,” he said.
He added: “When I was taken back home without them telling me of any charge or offence that I committed, that is when the halloween experience started because my house was surrounded by police who could not allow me move out or be allowed to see any visitors.”
Dr Besigye also said he failed to file an election petition within the ten days as stipulated by the law because he was placed under house arrest soon after the election.
While in the presence of his lawyer Erias Lukwago, Dr Besigye asked the commission to compensate him for the alleged torture, loss of working time, lost income, lost opportunities including not being able to challenge the outcome of the 2016 presidential polls before the Supreme Court.
The commission said it will communicate its decision at a later unknown date.
