Police have allowed the former Presidential Candidate Col. Kizza Besigye to interface with his lawyers following four days of house arrest.
Dr. Kizza Besigye was arrested last week and returned to his home as he attempted to walk to town in protest of the soaring prices of commodities in the country. He was destined to launch his latest campaign dubbed ‘Wakeup call’. He intended to mobilize citizens to protest against the hiking commodity prices in the country.
Since Thursday, Police besieged his home and no one was allowed in or out. Several political activists have since passed by his Kasangati based home to deliver food and other basic needs but none of them has been allowed beyond the mounted police checkpoints.
Earlier today, police had denied Besigye’s lawyers access to his home but later five of them were cleared to go and interact with him. The five included; Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Kunihira Proscovia, Gawaya Tegulle, Nuwenyesiga Gilbert, and one other lawyer.
“We want to secure ways and means ensuring that he regains his freedom. We want to interface with him and see how we can secure his freedom. Unfortunately we are being barred here without any reason. The commander of this deployment said for today she can’t allow us to see him,” Lukwago said before being cleared.
He added police officers should respect the law, freedom and rights of Dr. Besigye and them, the lawyers.
Mr. Matia Kasaija, the Minister for Finance Planning and Economic Development has since blamed the skyrocketing price of commodities to high prices of fuel and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Currently, most of the prices of essential commodities in the country have doubled.
Dating from 2011, Besigye has spearheaded various protests in the country. Following his defeat in the 2011 presidential elections, he led the famous walk to walk campaign protesting the high prices of food and fuel.
At the peak of the campaign, Besigye was arrested for a fourth time on 28 April, 2011 during a ‘walk-to-work’ protest and sprayed with pepper spray and dragged from his car by police. His arrest acted as a catalyst for additional protests leading to riots across Kampala, in which at least two people were killed and 120 people wounded, leading to some 360 arrests.
