Lumbuye is not yet with us but 15 case files are awaiting him, says Police

The Police have said  that whereas  popular blogger and Ugandan government critic, Fred Kajubi Lumbuye is not yet in their custody, a total of 15 case files are awaiting him.

Government last week said Lumbuye who had been arrested in Turkey would be extradited to Uganda to face several charges.

However, addressing journalists during the weekly press briefing at Naguru, Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said whereas the motor mouth blogger has not yet been handed over to Police, a number of case files are lined up against him.

“We want to tell the public that as police, we have 15 case files against Lumbuye under investigation for spreading harmful propaganda, sharing videos asking public to protest, inciting chaos among the public and other cyber-crimes,”Enanga said.

The police spokesperson however distanced himself from commenting on the blogger’s whereabouts but noted that as soon as he is handed over to police, he will be held accountable for the charges.

“Until Lumbuye is handed over to police, we shall then come up with a statement on the status of investigations. Whether in country or not, our interest is that we shall process him over these case files awaiting him. We are to wait until he is handed over to us and process the cases,”Enanga said.

The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem last week said Lumbuye will have to answer for his deeds committed while in Turkey.

“Anybody who commits a crime in any country whatsoever will pay the price for committing crime, that person you are talking about is not special. Who is he to think that he is above the law,”Oryem said.

“Every one of you would be jubilating that this person (Lumbuye) committed a crime and he has been arrested and is being brought before the courts of law but it seems like you are sympathising with him.”

Whereas late last week, the minister confirmed that Lumbuye had been arrested and was due for deportation on Saturday, the whereabouts of the popular blogger and Uganda government critic remain unclear.

However, several media reports have quoted security sources indicating that Lumbuye was returned into the country.

Last month, President Museveni directed security to look for people who announced him dead.

“Social media apparently has been saying that Museveni is dead. The other day when I went to that side of Bombo to lay a foundation people were looking at me (with shock) because they had been told by social media that Museveni is dead or something like that,” Museveni said last month.

“The security service needs to also solve that problem. I need to check with them so that we locate quickly those who tell such a story because you waste people’s time. We should go for you. We should locate where you are and go for you. If you’re in Europe, we denounce you and say go to hell.”

The National Unity Platform recently said Lumbuye's arrest is a cause for worry for the Ugandan government critics abroad.

“We are not saying that Fred Lumbuye is a perfect person. We are not even saying that he has not made some mistakes in the course of his work. All we are saying is that he should not be handed over to a criminal regime which is well known for torturing critics! All we are saying is that he is a known critic of the regime in Uganda and  the regime has been baying for his blood. To deport him would be to sentence him to death,” said NUP Secretary General, Lewis Rubongoya last week.

He insisted that whereas the National Unity Platform does not entire agree with some of Lumbuye’s actions, returning him home would not solve the matters but rather make them worse.

“In fact, we do not necessarily agree with everything he does. All we are saying is that if Fred Lumbuye is handed over to the regime in Kampala that will send shock and fear within Ugandan dissidents and political activists everywhere in the world.”

The law

Section 25 of the  Computer Misuse Act section 25 stipulates  that any person who communicates in a manner that ridicules or offends a person without any justification commits an offence.