Tabu Butagira
18 May 2011
It seemed like a garrison. A huge teargas truck stationed at the Kalerwe Road roundabout with its nozzle pointing to Kasangati trading centre in Wakiso District. Beside it was a pickup and lorry full of anti-riot police.
Then a sentry at Masoli trading centre, a few kilometres to Kasangati, where police screened every car and passenger.
This neighbourhood of opposition politician Kizza Besigye shot to fame since commencement of the walk-to-work protests on April 11.
Besigye said yesterday’s deployment was a culmination of how security forces have besieged his home since Saturday and he would not understand why.
“We are living in a rather strange situation where all roads, including footpaths, are filled with soldiers. We don’t know their intention,” he said.
The air was pregnant with anticipation, of something ominous, as he departed for the Forum for Democratic Change Najjanankumbi offices.
Four pickup truckloads carrying action-ready anti-riot police slopped charily on the jagged, dirt road to Dr Besigye’s home with Kiira Road police boss James Ruhweza in command.
Journey starts
As Dr Besigye left home at 1:04pm, a battery of journalists scrambled ahead of his motorcade, expecting prompt police intercept.
Other FDC officials: Maj. John Kazoora, Mohammed Angoliga and MP Geoffrey Ekanya followed in separate cars interchanging space in the convoy along the way.
While at the Wandegeya Traffic lights intersection after turning off Mulago Road, a lead patrol police pickup truck with sirens blaring closely followed by an armoured car smashed through the afternoon traffic menacingly, shoving terrified motorists off the road.
Dr Besigye’s convoy, which was heading in the opposite direction, took the turn on Bombo Road for the city centre and while at Shell Capital on Kampala Road, he stood a metre or so away from his main rival, President Museveni, returning from the swearing in of his wife Janet as Ruhama MP.
“This is our city and we will get there,” Dr Besigye said at Najjanankumbi, apparently surprised at his incident-free errand.
DPC Ruhweza arrived shortly at Najjanankumbi as the FDC leader and his top lieutenants entered for a closed-door meeting.
The blue police van used in previous exercise to evacuate Dr Besigye parked sneakily at a village path turn between Kenjoy Supermarket and FDC offices.
Police’s take
Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba would later say Dr Besigye’s previously proscribed drive through the city centre had nothing “unusual”.
“Driving when alone in the car is not the problem,” she said. “The problem is procession and crowd not regulated by police.”
She also denied claims that Dr Besigye had been placed under house arrest.
Things have in the past month exploded whenever security operatives attempted to stop Dr Besigye from walking or driving to work. Last evening, Dr Besigye, however, arrived back home around 7:30pm undisturbed.
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Opposition Leader Besigye Allowed to Leave Home