Police and army practicing their training on a civilianIt was rumoured that the King of Buganda, his highness, Kabaka Ronald Mutebi, was under house arrest, but this was denied by the Inspector General of Police Major general Kale Kaihura at a press conference he held at the Media centre in Kampala at the weekend.
However, during the fracas, a total of 550 people were arrested over rioting and on Monday 14 September 2009, 122 were arraigned in court and later incarcerated in Luzira prison until 23 September when their case will be heard again. There reports of 103 deaths, though it is thought that the figure might be higher. The Monitor newspaper has set up an investigation desk to come up with a near accurate figure. According to the police spokeswoman, Judith Nabakoba, a Democratic Party MP arrested while in the middle of the church mass. Mr. Issa Kikungwe was arrested in connection with the riots that started in Kampala. “According to information available so far, he (Mr. Kikungwe) is one of the ring leaders who incited violence in Kampala,” Ms Nabakooba told Daily Monitor by telephone.
There are conflicting reports over the number of wounded. However, reports compiled by the Monitor from hospitals around Kampala put the wounded number at over 100. But many more injured people did not seek medical attention. The exact figure though might never be known but could be in the range of 500.
Other casualties include 5 radio stations forcibly shut down by the government. The reason given was that they were inciting people to riot and destroy property. Eyewitnesses claim men dressed in military uniforms climbed the masts owned by CBS to remove the transmitters. It was only after that that the Broadcasting council came up with a statement suspending the operation licenses of both kingdom radios. Other radios whose broadcasting licenses were suspended are: Radio 2, the Catholic Church owned radio Sapienta and Ssuubi radio. The government’s condition to reopen the radios is that they should promise to stop their negative campaign against the ruling NRM party and inciting the Baganda tribe against the police in conjunction with the opposition leader Dr Besigye.
Not only radios were closed, but also a popular radio presenter was among those arrested. Journalist Kalundi Serumaga, a presenter with Radio one was arrested after participating in a television talk show. It was reported by the Monitor newspaper that Serumaga is presently in hospital where he is nursing wounds allegedly inflicted by the police whom he claims tortured him. Serumaga was arrested over statements he allegedly made while appearing as a panelist on Kibazo programme on Friday on television. The Broadcasting Council on Saturday also halted the airing of a Radio Simba talk show ‘Gasimbagane ne Bannamawulire’ and WBS television programme ‘Kibaazo’.
The coalition of Makerere’s department of mass communication, Eastern African Media Institute, Independent Media Council of Uganda, and Uganda Media Development Foundation and many others in a statement yesterday, said Government’s actions “undermine the independence of journalism, freedom of expression and free flow of information.” They called upon the Broadcasting Council and security agencies to desist from exercising their mandate arbitrarily, excessively and selectively. “They should stop acting outside the constitutional framework and broadcasting regulations,” the coalition’s interim boss, George Lugalambi, said. The coalition also called for the release of Serumaga (The new Vision 14 September 2009).
Out of the ashes of the riots are lessons for both the government and the opposition. Over the last 20 years the government has amassed equipment for both the army and police for quelling down any internal dissent. Mamba trucks, tear gas, water canons mounted on tankers, arms and ammunition are in full stock. However, the government did not envisage the riots coming. They were ready for any eventualities in Kayunga and didn’t expect any problems elsewhere. For the first time in the history of Uganda, riots simultaneously broke out in 6 different districts. Since the police had heavily deployed in only Kayunga district, riots were able to continue for 2 days elsewhere. Rumours are rife that there was no more tear gas and bullets for the police! This means that even after spending colossal amounts of money to equip the police and to militarize it, it has no capacity to put down a nationwide strike.
For the opposition who used to think that Ugandans are passive must have received a wake up call. They should now note that with proper organization and a proper cause, the Ugandans will not sit back and allow elections to be stolen again. It is therefore important to ally with traditional rulers and explain the outcomes of a stolen election properly to the masses. They will protect the ballots with their lives as they did for their Kabaka.
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