Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) former presidential candidate Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye has been arrested again by the security agencies, and taken to an unknown place, a senior party official has said.
Harold Kaija, the party’s Deputy Secretary General in charge of Administration, said Dr Besigye was arrested and driven towards Matugga along Bombo Road, after which they lost track of him and his alleged captors.
‘Our President Dr Kizza has been kidnapped. We followed the van heading to Matugga on Bombo Road and we lost them’, Mr Kaija posted on his Facebook wall.
But contacted for comment, police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said that Dr Besigye was at home, safe.
“This guy is just at home and importantly, the police does not kidnap people; whatever we are doing is provided for by the law,” Mr Enanga said by phone today.
He said that the opposition, particularly the FDC had resorted to a smear campaign against the police and cited the recent claim by the party president that the force had carried away their office equipment including ‘tally sheets’ that were supposed to be used (for the election petition purposes).
“That is their (FDC) propaganda against the police; they keep using excuses to shield their weaknesses,” Mr Enanga said in reference to Mr Kaija’s kidnap claims of Dr Besigye by police, and added: “That is loose talk to gain sympathies; let them file a complaint.”
Dr Besigye, a candidate in the just-concluded presidential elections, is contesting the results and has since run into trouble with the police, which have arrested him every day since the results were announced on Saturday, February 20.
On Election Day, February 18, Dr Besigye was arrested in Naguru, where he had reportedly gone to deter an alleged rigging at a police facility.
Meanwhile, the police contend that the continued arrest of Besigye is to deter him from causing violence in the city which would otherwise lead to loss of property and lives.
