UGANDA Police have arrested two people for allegedly embarrassing President Yoweri Museveni by carrying placards demanding the reopening of CBS radio at his public rally, writes Dennis Itumbi for journlaism.co.za.ÂÂÂ
The duo were arrested in Lyantonde, one of the 15 districts making up Buganda region, which is located 120 miles from Kampala and just about 20 miles from Museveni’s country home at Rwakitura.
At Lyantonde playground where he addressed a public rally, some youths outsmarted his security and sneaked in with placards calling on him to reopen CBS. “Mzee re-open CBS†read the dominant placard.
Museveni’s security operatives attempted to quietly force the youths to drop their placards but in vain. Eventually they pounced on them and whisked them away to Lyantonde Police station.
One of the youth, Kanwagi Bazirwane, is a resident of Lyantonde Town Council but the identity of the second was not immediately established. The two are likely to be charged either with sedition or annoying the person of the president.
Museveni has ruled Uganda for 24 years and has begun re-election campaigns for another five-year term in February 2011.
Museveni was on what he called Prosperity for All presidential tour of the country. The tour started with rural Buganda region districts.
Tension between Museveni and the cultural leader of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II are still high since the September riots.
More than 30 people were killed during the riots that erupted after Museveni stopped the Buganda cultural leaders from traveling to Kayunga district to preside over his kingdom’s annual youth day.
Museveni also closed four radio stations that vigorously reported about the riots including CBS, aka Radio Buganda, which is owned by the cultural institution.
Museveni has faced demands to reopen CBS everywhere he has gone during this latest tour.
