Folks,
We have a few good men in Kenya who can stand up and challenge the Coalition Government with facts…….The two principles, Kibaki and PM Raila are quite … pretending they do not notice what is going on…….Shame on them kabisa…….!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – –
Kenya Parliament Debate Besigye ‘Blocked Return’
Nation Reporter
11 May 2011
Kenya law makers on Wednesday morning accused their government of working in connivance with Uganda government to block opposition leader Kizza Besigye from returning to Uganda.
Speaking in the Wednesday morning parliamentary session, Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo claimed that the government of Kenya was returning a favour to its Ugandan counterpart by preventing Dr Besigye from boarding the Kenya Airways flight to Entebbe.
“What has shocked us today (Wednesday) is that the Kenyan government has refused to let Uganda Opposition leader Dr Besigye fly back to his country. Under what law can the Kenya government detain Dr Besigye?” Mr Kilonzo asked.
He spoke as he contributed to a motion by Kenya’s Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) seeking to establish a special committee of parliamentarians to investigate the cause of the increase in food and fuel prices in the country (Kenya).
Mr Kilonzo accused Kenya working to protect President Museveni from planned protests by Dr Besigye and other organisers of the Walk-To-Work campaign in Uganda.
Police Arrest Mao As Besigye Jets in
Philippa Croome and Nelson Wesonga
11 May 2011
Opposition politicians Norbert Mao and Muhammed Kibirige were by press time still under police detention after they were arrested as they tried to access the Constitution Square in Kampala to conduct a rally.
The politicians were part of a larger group that attempted to access the square in the heart of the city for a rally even after the police had insisted the area was out of bounds.
Also arrested with the politicians, who were protesting the rise in cost of basic commodities, was DP former candidate for the Budiope East parliamentary seat Moses Bigirwa.
Although other opposition figures Olara Otunnu (UPC), Salaam Musumba (FDC) and former independent presidential candidate Walter Lubega evaded arrest, they did not escape a flood of police water spray that left them dyed pink.
The group that escaped arrest relocated to UPC party headquarters at Uganda House, where they addressed the media and condemned the police action.
When contacted at Kira Road Police Station, where he was anticipating to be freed on police bond last night, Mr Mao said, “I am all pink.”
Pink town
The DP president said the spray was an irritant, but that not much had gotten on him when the group was targeted by security forces.
Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaking at the Democratic Party offices in Nairobi, where he paid a courtesy call on party leader Joseph Munyao.
The Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, later told journalists at Kampala Central Police Station from where he oversaw the operation that he was happy his men had not used teargas.
He added that the same approach will be used to dissuade crowds from jamming Entebbe Road today when FDC president KizzaBesigye returns from seeking specialised medical treatment in Nairobi, saying his entourage “will be treated like a VIP convoy”.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said the decision to use water cannons over tear gas was a “tactical” one. It is the first time the measure has been used by security to disperse walk-to-work protestors since demonstrations began just over one month ago.
Identifier
“The colour is basically to identify people who are part of the riots,” she said. “Normally when we use tear gas we find everybody complaining ‘I wasn’t party’ – but this water targets the people who are part of the gathering, and you find that when you want to follow them up it is very easy for identification.”
She also said the choice to use the spray was due to the location of the demonstration.
“Because they were in central business district, we needed to use a tactic which may not affect other people not party to what was taking place,” she said.
Mr Manesh Dada, the proprietor of Dada Photo Studio, claimed that his photo printing machine worth Shs30 million was damaged during the fracas.
“In the process of stopping the protestors, police shattered my glass pane as they sprayed this liquid on the passersby,” he said, while mopping up his soaked floor.
And Ali Nakibinge, a downtown parking attendant, pointed to the stained cars with broken parts he was tasked with monitoring, as well as the vendors forced to throw away their used books on either side of him.
“All this business was affected,” he said, standing on a street corner still running with pink water.
“Of course we were scared. I wouldn’t even come to Kampala if we are not looking for something to eat,” said the 23-year-old Kabowa resident.
Journalists harassed
At least two photographers were harassed by security forces for taking pictures of the water cannons being deployed.
Daily Monitor photographer Isaac Kasamani said when he arrived on the scene, he was greeted by a scene of about 50 anti-riot and military police, some with dogs, and witnessed a colleague being pulled down from where he was perched taking photos.
“As I was taking pictures, some police came and chased me away,” he said. “I refused to go away but more police men came and told me to just get off, pushing me away from the scene.”
Constitution Square
Security forces continued to block all entrances to Constitution Square into the evening.
Ms Nabakooba said the square is off-limits for having been the site of demonstrations gone wrong in the past.
“People used to have rallies in that ground, but a lot of properties would be destroyed, people’s businesses would be looted,” she said.
The police spokesperson suggested the opposition look “in other places that are neutral” to hold their rallies. She could not, however, provide an example of a suitable ground.
Besigye stuck at Jomo Kenyatta Airport
11 May 2011
Opposition leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, is stuck at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Kenya after he was stopped from boarding a Kenya Airways flight to Uganda Wednesday morning.
Sources tell Daily Monitor that the airline’s officials approached Dr Besigye and claimed they were informed by Ugandan authorities that if he was on board the morning flight the aircraft would not be allowed to land at Entebbe International Airport, 40 km outside Kampala.
The Ugandan government however denied any such communication. When contacted Internal Affairs Minister Kirunda Kivejinja said the government can’t act crudely “and that Uganda doesn’t have any authority on Kenya Airways flights.”
“If we managed to allow him to leave, how can we stop him from coming back? We had all the powers to stop him from going there after all,” Mr Kivejinja said.
The opposition leader has been receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital for multiple injuries sustained when security personnel attacked him on April 28 as he tried to drive into Kampala City.
Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaking at the Democratic Party offices in Nairobi, where he paid a courtesy call on party leader Joseph Munyao.
He has now pitched camp in the Kenya government lounge of the JKIA departures lounge and is demanding an official and written explanation from Kenya Airways.
This development is yet another twist to the saga which has characterized the Uganda government’s heavy-handed clamp-down on the walk-to-work protests against high fuel prices and the rising cost of living.
Dr Besigye is one of hundreds of people who have been wounded in confrontations with the police and army that have left at least nine people dead from gunshot wounds.
Police had on Tuesday indicated that they would allow Dr Besigye to enter the country but drive from Entebbe in a convoy of not more than three vehicles escorted by police.
Besigye to Lead Demo On Museveni’s Big Day
Lillian Onyango
10 May 2011
Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye returns home on Wednesday morning to lead protests planned to coincide with President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing in for a fifth term on Thursday.
This time, the protest will shift from “walk-to-work” to “walk-to-pray”, said Dr Besigye.
Dr Besigye, a former ally of President Museveni turned-arch foe, dismissed the ceremony as illegitimate.
He said it was wrong to spend USh4 billion on the ceremony when millions of Ugandans risked starving.
“Yet there are some people in Uganda who can only afford one meal a day. Somebody can even be sworn-in in the bedroom, you do not need that much money,” he said.
Dr Besigye repeated claims that the February election was rigged, views supported by international observers from the African Union, European Union and the Commonwealth.
“Accordingly, what is going to be sworn-in on Thursday is an illegitimate presidency, and we shall continue to treat it as such,” the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader said.
He was speaking at the Democratic Party offices in Nairobi where he paid a courtesy call on party leader Joseph Munyao.
Dr Besigye chairs the Democratic Union of Africa, an association of democratic parties that also include DP.
“Are we going back to the (Idi) Amin era when even Museveni himself had to run away from Uganda?” Mr Munyao asked.
Dr Besigye came to Kenya late last month for treatment after he was injured in a violent arrest on April 28.
Yusuf Muziransa/NationUganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaking at the Democratic Party offices in Nairobi, where he paid a courtesy call on party leader Joseph Munyao.
“The government is panicking because they lack legitimacy and that is why they say if I walk in Kampala, people will come and gather around me but that is not my problem,” he said and asked: “If you have been elected with 70 per cent of the vote, how can you fear a miserable loser walking around?”
Dr Besigye said although his tenure as FDC party leader had come to a close, he would welcome nomination at the next elections. FDC limits the tenure to two five-year terms, which Dr Besigye has already served.
The walk-to-work demonstrations kicked off in April 11 over high food and fuel prices. Several people have been killed, and others injured by security agents who break up the marches violently.
Last month, Dr Besigye was shot in the hand during one of the protests.