MBARARA – The FDC chairperson for Mbarara District, Mr Stanley Katembeya, and 13 others have been arrested for staging a parallel anti-corruption walk in Mbarara Town on Wednesday.
The group, which also included former Mbarara Municipality MP contestant Bright Muhumuza, were intercepted by police as they marched in different suburbs such as Kijungu and on Mbarara High Street.
They were carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Begin with the big fish’, ‘What happened to those that ate GAVI and Global funds?’.
Police rounded up the group and detained them at Mbarara Police Station.
Rwizi Region Police Spokesperson Samson Kasasira said the group held an illegal procession and were inciting violence.
“We have arrested 14 people on charges of illegal procession and inciting violence. They were carrying placards with words that were meant to incite the public,”Mr Kasasira said.
He said they would face charges of carrying out an illegal procession and inciting violence against them.
The arrests come after Police in Kampala blocked Opposition leader Dr Kiiza Besigye from holding a parallel anti-corruption march. Preliminary plans by Dr Besigye indicate that the walk would start from his office at Katonga Road to the Constitution Square. Police on Wednesday morning besieged Besigye’s home in Kasangati, Wakiso District, in order to deny him way to the venue where his parallel anti-corruption walk was supposed to take place.
However, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Patrick Onyango said they were not notified about a parallel walk and wouldn’t allow it.
On Wednesday, President Museveni led the anti-corruption walk around Kampala City organised by State House’s Anti-Corruption Unit where he denounced corruption.
