Prayers had been planned to be presided over by a priest at Nyakibale Catholic Parish in Kabale diocese in collaboration with religious leaders from the Anglican and Born-Again communities.
The Police and Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) soldiers
have maintained deployment at opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)
party offices in Rukungiri district.
The deployment at the party
offices located along Republic Road in Rukungiri town follows reports that some party leaders are preparing to hold prayers over the
arrest and remanding of Dr Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya.
Prayers had been planned to be presided over by a priest at Nyakibale Catholic Parish in Kabale diocese in collaboration with
religious leaders from the Anglican and Born-Again communities.
Caleb Musimenta, the FDC party secretary
general for Rukungiri district says that while the prayers had been planned, security personnel blocked access to the party offices.
Musimenta expresses frustration accusing security of disrupting
the prayers for no reason.
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However, Wilberforce Ongom Ahimbisibwe, Rukungiri Deputy
Resident District Commissioner defends the deployment saying that security had not been briefed about the gathering as stipulated in the Public Order Management Act. He adds that security deployment will stay at the party offices until
a consensus between security and organizers of the prayers is reached.
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Besigye and Lutare were arrested last week from Riverside
Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya. They were accused of being unlawfully in possession
of two pistols; model 27 KAL No. 765 and HB 1014 1953 and eight rounds of pistol
ammunition.
They were brought to Uganda
and paraded before Makindye military court martial, charged
with endangering the security of the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF)
contrary to the UPDF Act.
Court heard that the duo and others still at large, between
October 2023 and November 2024, allegedly held meetings in Geneva
(Switzerland), Athens (Greece), and Nairobi (Kenya) aimed at soliciting
logistical support and identifying military targets in Uganda with intent to
prejudice the security of the defence forces. They were remanded to Luzira
Maximum Prison until December 2nd.