Kabaka arrest rumour sparks fresh riots in Kampala

Members of the public raise their hands in surrender during the riots in Kampala. Photos/REUTERS and CORRESPONDENT

Combined teams from the security forces yesterday morning fought running battles with angry youth in parts of Kampala after rumours went around that the King of Buganda, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, could have been placed under house arrest.

It also emerged yesterday that the kingdom’s cancellation of the Kabaka’s trip to Kayunga was on the advice from as yet undisclosed quarters though the Mengo establishment, in a statement, sought to indicate that they were acting on their own assessment of the situation.

Chaotic scenes continued being played out in some city suburbs despite a statement from Kingdom Prime Minister J.B Walusimbi assuring the people that the Kabaka was safe. He did not say where the Kabaka was exactly.

“We assure the public that Ssabassajja is not under house arrest and nothing untoward has happened to him or his household and the Katikiro also continues to urge people to remain calm and law abiding,” the statement which was read to Sunday Monitor over the phone reads in part.

Restrain officers

Mr Walusimbi said he had also spoken to the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura and “has requested him to restrain his officers and men from indiscriminate shooting against unarmed civilians in order to cool the temperatures.”

Daily Monitor was able to confirm Friday night that the king’s palace on Kireka hill, about six kilometres east of the city centre was being guarded by reinforced military personnel.

The police and the military also dismissed reports that the Kabaka had been put under house arrest.

Police Spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba told Sunday Monitor: “I think there are people who do not want peace in Kampala. They are misinforming people that Kabaka has been arrested. We are trying to find out the source of this information,” she said.

Mr Kabuza Mukasa, the Buganda minister in charge of royal travels said: “Kabaka is very safe, it is just that some people are taking advantage of the whole situation. Let the people remain calm.”

Defence and army spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye said: “Why should he be arrested? He was advised to cancel the trip and he did.”

Meanwhile, Kayunga District yesterday remained a no-go area following heavy deployment of military police on the roads stretching all the way from Namanve industrial park to Kabimbiri township where a heavy military presence blockade ensured that not a single car was allowed to get through to Kayunga.

The battle scars between the rioters and police were evident along the Mukono-Kayunga road, with burnt tyres, burnt electricity poles all strewn along the road.

There was a burnt shell of a lorry that had been ferrying culverts along the Kampala-Mukono highway.

Despite the heavy military presence, there was a nervous sense of calmness among the residents of Kalagi, Nakifuma, Ndese towns with some shops open and taxis operating in the area. Boda Boda riders too appeared to operate. Though their presence on the road was quite limited, with few of them actually ferrying passengers, a situation one rider, Mr Abubaker Musoke, attributed to the fear among the residents.

“They have stayed in their houses. They fear to travel to town.”

As the Sunday Monitor team approached Kabimbiri, which is approximately five miles to Kayunga, the military police signalled the driver to stop and ordered everybody out. The team was asked to indentify themselves.

Despite the identification, the police directed the team to turn back and head for Kampala while saying no vehicle is allowed to go to Kayunga.

Situation scary

According to a source who had sneaked out of Kayunga on foot, the situation in Kayunga is “scary”.

“The shops were ordered to close by 3pm yesterday. By 7pm the town was deserted apart from a few local bars that were open. And those too were ordered to close by patrolling military police. If they found groups of people along the road or in the bars, they dispersed them and in some cases whipping people to disperse them” the source said.

Bugerere County situated in Kayunga District was to host the Kabaka yesterday. The planned visit to the county was barred by the government which claimed that it was dangerous as the Banyala sub-ethnic community in the county had vowed not to let the Kabaka visit the county.

This impasse has led to riots that have engulfed the city and its surrounding towns and has led to Kayunga district being on lockdown.

Reported by Mwanguhya Charles Mpagi, Mercy Nalugo and Risdel Kasasira