KAMPALA
Police yesterday opened fire and detonated tear gas canisters to disperse a surging crowd before they forcefully towed a car in which opposition kingpin Kizza Besigye was riding on. The car was hauled from Kampala Road at around 12 noon where Dr Besigye had made stopover after attending Buganda Road Court.
Yesterdays incident is the latest in what has become an almost daily contest between Dr Besigye, intent on asserting his right to freedom of movement and association, and a police force hell-bent on denying him the enjoyment of those constitutionally guaranteed liberties.
Just on Monday, Dr Besigye was bundled from his home in Kasangati as he set off for town and driven 27km-east of Kampala to Naggalama Police Station in the neighbouring Mukono District. He was released in the evening.
In a text message, he informed the Daily Monitor that: I was from Buganda Road Court being charged with inciting violence. After that we stopped by Mabirizi Plaza from where police tear gassed people and towed my vehicle to CPS near the parking yard. We are still inside the vehicle.
At the yard, Dr Besigye remained inside his car for several hours, which was partly damaged during the towing. Mr Ibin Ssekumbi, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, maintained: We did not arrest him at all; we only took away his car.
Mr Ssenkumbi added that Dr Besigye was on his way from court but stopped along Kampala Road when he started causing chaos. We kindly asked him to leave that place and instead he locked himself in the car, which we towed away.
The police spokesperson did not say how the opposition leader was causing chaos yet he remained inside his car the whole time.
Mr Sam Mugumya, Dr Besigyes aide, noted that by press time the security personnel had forcefully opened the car and removed his boss, who was then taken inside the police station but no word had been said to them.
Police yesterday opened fire and detonated tear gas canisters to disperse a surging crowd before they forcefully towed a car in which opposition kingpin Kizza Besigye was riding on. The car was hauled from Kampala Road at around 12 noon where Dr Besigye had made stopover after attending Buganda Road Court.
Yesterdays incident is the latest in what has become an almost daily contest between Dr Besigye, intent on asserting his right to freedom of movement and association, and a police force hell-bent on denying him the enjoyment of those constitutionally guaranteed liberties.
Just on Monday, Dr Besigye was bundled from his home in Kasangati as he set off for town and driven 27km-east of Kampala to Naggalama Police Station in the neighbouring Mukono District. He was released in the evening.
In a text message, he informed the Daily Monitor that: I was from Buganda Road Court being charged with inciting violence. After that we stopped by Mabirizi Plaza from where police tear gassed people and towed my vehicle to CPS near the parking yard. We are still inside the vehicle.
At the yard, Dr Besigye remained inside his car for several hours, which was partly damaged during the towing. Mr Ibin Ssekumbi, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, maintained: We did not arrest him at all; we only took away his car.
Mr Ssenkumbi added that Dr Besigye was on his way from court but stopped along Kampala Road when he started causing chaos. We kindly asked him to leave that place and instead he locked himself in the car, which we towed away.
The police spokesperson did not say how the opposition leader was causing chaos yet he remained inside his car the whole time.
Mr Sam Mugumya, Dr Besigyes aide, noted that by press time the security personnel had forcefully opened the car and removed his boss, who was then taken inside the police station but no word had been said to them.
