29 March 2016

Police battle women activists over 'free my vote campaign prayers' at Besigye home

Police deployed at former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Kizza Besigye’s residence in Kasangati Wakiso district trying to block women activists who had gone to conduct the weekly ‘Free my vote’ party campaign prayers. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa 




KAMPALA: Police deployed at former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Kizza Besigye’s residence Tuesday morning engaged in endless running battles with the FDC women league members who had gone to conduct the weekly ‘Free my vote’ party campaign prayers.






The prayers are part of the activities outlined by the FDC party in protest of the outcome of the
February 18 presidential election and the subsequent continued home detention of the party’s
presidential candidate in the previous elections.
Mr Besigye’s home has been under police siege for the last 41 days since the declaration of
presidential results which were won by President Yoweri Museveni.






The heavily armed security officers kept chasing away the women activists using batons and
pepper spray as they engaged in running battles.






Clad in blue gomeses and in hijabs, some of the women sustained bruises from the falling as they engaged with police for about about two hours.






“We had made an appointment with Dr Besigye as women Councilors but we are finding it hard to enter because police says we should first make an appointment with them (police),”Ms Hadja Namutebi Matovu, the woman Councillor LC3 Makerere II said.






In the scuffle,one of the women was arrested and driven away in the notorious black police van. The taxi that had transported the women was also impounded and taken to Kasangati police.






“The police wanted only one representative to enter and meet Dr Besigye on behalf of all of us(the women) but we refused because we had come from different districts and couldn’t allow to be represented by only one person,” Ms Jacqueline Mbabazi,the FDC Western region delegate told journalists.






Earlier before the women activists’ arrival, a group of other FDC officials had been allowed to access Mr Besigye’s home. Among them were Ms Winnie Kizza, the FDC Women league Chairperson and
Kasese woman MP, the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Ms Sarah
Eperu, the FDC woman league Spokesperson among others.






President Museveni was declared winner of the highly contested polls with 60.6 percent after garnering 5,971,872 votes
against Besigye’s 3,508,687 votes, representing 35.61 percent of the total votes cast.






lnamagembe@ug. nationmedia. com






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