Nakasongola Prison Tests Mao, Besigye Resolve

Tabu Butagira

27 April 2011

Kampala — “He was dressed in yellow shorts and shirt – the full prison uniform – and wore bathroom sandals. I said, ‘Aaah! I wish I had a camera and could take this picture for history.'” This is how Kitgum District Woman MP Beatrice Anywar re-constructs her last Friday’s encounter with jailed Democratic Party president Norbert Mao at Nakasongola Prison.

In times as a free man, the Gulu District chairman would turn up in plum suit, knotting a green tie to match DP’s official colour. Now he does not. Instead, he wears a barely black-stripped, golden-haired prison uniform in a country where yellow is the ruling party’s formal shade.

Jolly talks

Not that the hue for the prisoners’ wear was decided by or with NRM’s preference, its mocking contrast during Mao’s present incarceration notwithstanding. Despite the dilemma, the witty politician, accompanied by six co-accused, strikes a jolly conversation with Ms Anywar, telling prying warders to let her stay around and take care of him since she is “my in-law”.

Mr Mao’s wife, Naome, hails from Kitgum District that Ms Anywar represents in Parliament. Not much humorous tales with FDC party leader Kizza Besigye. By about 9:30am on Friday, he was still dressed in clothes he wore the previous day when security forces violently arrested him.

Both men face charges of inciting violence, organising unlawful assembly and disobeying lawful (police) orders for participating in the walk-to-work demonstration over escalating inflation. Dr Besigye’s right arm fingers, grazed by a rubber bullet a week ago, remained strapped and the plaster had blood stains, according to MP Anywar. “He said ‘the good thing is the finger was not infected’.”

A close family member, who asked not to be named, describes the sight in prison of the retired UPDF Colonel as “stressful, but what do you do? The state can do anything it likes”. “I asked him how he was. He said: It is okay,” narrates the family member. Dr Besigye is reported to be calm but pensive. “He somehow is in high spirits; he asks about people outside and that somewhat encourages us [as relatives].”

Nakasongola, off the Kampala-Gulu thoroughfare is a small town, but the government prison where the politicians are held, is in the hinterland of the cattle-corridor. A female relative of Dr Besigye who came from Rukungiri was, like several other guests, bounced at the confinement facility on Monday on grounds it was a public holiday. She camped at Nakasongola town, and had her wish to see Dr Besigye reluctantly granted yesterday morning. Unlike Luzira Prisons where sections of the public initially preferred Dr Besigye and Mr Mao kept, the Nakasongola facility is new, more spacious, with wider windows and habitable; contrasting with its countrywide equivalents.

Limited interaction

“It was tailor-built as a correctional facility; not the key-and-lock prisons we have elsewhere,” said Uganda Prisons Spokesman Frank Baine. Its capacity is 1,000 inmates but has some 310 in custody, officials say.The politicians, as remand prisoners, have limited time to interact with colleagues but cook their own meals, sleep on at least 3-inch mattresses and can buy personal effects/newspapers alongside permitted reading materials.

AllAfrica – All the Time