Besigye Disallowed from Returning to Uganda

Now to Uganda where the political climate is moving from bad to worse ahead of President’s Museveni’s swearing in ceremony. FDC spokesperson, Wafula Ogutu confirmed to us that Kizza Besigye, the FDC leader has indeed been disallowed from boarding the Kenya Airways plane he was scheduled to take to the Entebbe International Airport to Uganda earlier this morning. 

Opposition politians Norbert Mao and Muhammed Kibirige were arrested yesterday after they tried to access the Constitution Square in Kampala to conduct a rally-a rally that the police say they had banned. 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.

 
Kizza Besigye, has been receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital for multiple injuries sustained when security personnel attacked him on the 28th of April as he tried to drive into Kampala City. Three hours after he checked in, opposition leader Dr Besigye is still waiting for an explanation from Kenya Airways as to why they offloaded him from the morning Kenya Airways flight which landed in Entebbe, Uganda, this morning. He has pitched camp in the Kenya government lounge of the Jomo Kenyatta Initernational Airport departures lounge. Police had on Tuesday indicated that they would allow Besigye to enter the country but drive from Entebbe in a convoy of not more than three vehicles escorted by police. Our efforts to contact the Uganda government’s spokesperson with regard to these allegations have so far been futile.

 
Meanwhile, news reports from Uganda indicate that Police has heavily deployed along Entebbe-Kampala Highway while civilians are not being allowed to come close to the road. Further back in Entebbe, the military police and riot police have also staked out the airport and the route leading into town. Various opposition leaders are at the airport as we speak and Journalists continue to be denied access to the airport premises by assorted security operatives.