There was a heated debate in the August House as Members of Parliament raised their voices on the brutality meted out on Forum for Democratic Change and opposition strongman, Dr.Kizza Besigye on Monday.
Police on Monday had to fire water cannons at Besigye who was atop his Toyota Land Cruiser on his way to Namboole for a party conference to subdue him. The officers would later smash four-time presidential aspirant’s car windscreen, spray him with pepper and later violently arrest him and detained at Naggalama Police Station.
On Tuesday, the leader of opposition, Betty Ochan presented a statement detailing the fracas between police and the Besigye on the floor of the August House.
“There is no doubt that police is determined to harm opposition politicians in Uganda. At all times, FDC has tried to comply with the law by writing to police notifying them of intended meetings but police has always opted to keep quiet not until the last minute that they issue press statements stopping the meetings,”Ochan said.
She noted at Kira Municipality MP also FDC spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda wrote to police three weeks ago to inform them of the Monday meeting at Namboole but to their surprise, she noted, the meeting was blocked at the last minute by Police.
“They never replied to the notification and their silence has now been interpreted as a planned move to for FDC leaders to come out and be harmed and the target being arrest Dr.Besigye.”
“Dr. Besigye’s health is at risk because every time he is targeted by being sprayed with chemicals.”
The leader of opposition also commented on the brutality meted out to journalists moving to petition the Inspector General of Police over police brutality.
Reactions
The statement by the leader of opposition attracted a heated and emotional debate from MPs on all the political divides in Parliament.
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. If our leaders cannot be given opportunity to interact with Ugandans and share their visions, how else can they do it,” Atkins Katusabe, from Bukonjo West said.
He noted that the country is taking a dangerous path and the earlier everyone wakes up, the better, adding that brutality cannot be tolerated.
Busiro East MP, Medard Lubega Sseggona reechoed the words of Katusabe saying there is need for a quick intervention.
“Today its Dr.Besigye tomorrow it will be me and you,”Sseggona said.
The Buvuma Woman MP, Nantume Jenifer Egunyu(NRM) however said brutality is not only against opposition politicians but across the board.
“Even if we say police officers are taking sides, it is just natural that those people have where they belong. There are times when the DPC takes sides with the opposition against NRM politicians,”Nantume said.
Kajara County MP, Michael Kamugisha(NRM) argued that all politicians, be it from the opposition or ruling NRM party should be treated fairly.
“Seeing what happened to Dr.Besigye being bent by water, it was too much that he could have got a damage in the spinal cord and can even die,”Kamugisha said.
“If it happens that he dies, what would happen to this country. There is no way you can attract tourists when there is chaos in the country.”
The MPs said it is appalling the manner in which Police treats opposition politicians, noting that something needs to be done about it.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga wondered whether the multiparty dispensation in still functional in the country.
“We want a commitment from government that all political parties will operate freely,”Kadaga argued.
In response, Moses Ali, the First Deputy Prime Minister said the status quo remains with the multiparty system at play in Uganda.
