MUBENDE – Police have switched off the Mubende FM radio mast for hosting Dr Kizza Besigye.
The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party had booked the radio station for 2 hours where Dr Besigye was to be hosted by Yusuf Kato.
However, police in the morning cordoned off the radio station premises not to allow Dr Besigye and other FDC party leaders from accessing it.
However, the next thing they heard was Dr. Besigye addressing the people through the same waves.
“They immediately rushed to the mast just like they did in Kabale, Mbarara, and Jinja to switch off the Radio Station. Like the junta reacted in Kabale, Mbarara and Jinja, they switched off the Radio from the Station mast,” FDC said in a statement.
Police then broke into the radio station, arrested Dr Besigye and drove to Mityana Police Station out of town from where he was eventually released.
“Just arrived at Mityana Police Station (out of town) after a very reckless drive from Mubende that left the police truck I was in broken down by the roadside. Luck to have a phone! Police came firing away along the road to “scare” people from stoning them. This isn’t sustainable,” said Dr Besigye on his Facebook wall.
On Monday, FDC threatened to boycott the forthcoming Inter-Party Organisation democracy (IPOD) Summit in protest over police’s blocking of their upcountry meetings.
The party president, Mr Patrick Amuriat, said that police has on several occasions curtailed and foiled their nationwide party rallies and meetings.
He said that the IPod, which is mandated to defend and protect all the opposition political parties has done nothing.
“We are members of the IPOD and we have been informed about the forthcoming summit next month. If we continue to be treated the way we have been treated, we shall boycott the summit,” Mr Amuriat said.
“This is the notice we are putting to IPOD and the National ruling movement. We are also considering none participation in all the donor funded activities that support growth of political party because we are not reaping anything,”
