Robert Mwanje & Andrew Bagala[the monitor]
Kampala Opposition parties have condemned the arrest of Buganda Kingdom ministers as a sign that Uganda was heading toward dictatorship.It is unfortunate that Uganda is sliding back to uncivilised [behaviour of] arresting people at night and without issuing them any warrant of arrest, said DP President Ssebaana Kizito.Mr Ken Lukyamuzi of CP said the Friday arrests of Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, Mr Medard Lubega, and Ms Betty Nambooze was the act of a government that had lost direction. Government should stop the culture of abusing people's rights,â Mr Lukyamuzi said. How do you arrest people at night and you claim to be holding a clear vision for this country?The police, however, fired back saying the arrests were not unusual.Mr Charles Peter Mayiga is the information and cabinet affairs minister at Mengo, the administrative seat of the Buganda Kingdom, while Mr Lubega is his deputy. Ms Nambooze, the DP spokeswoman, is also the head of the kingdom's Central Civic Education Committee appointed by the Kabaka to fight the central government's proposals for land reform through public activities around the sub-region.Police said the three officials will face charges relating to promotion of sectarianism, violence, sedition, and terrorism.Police publicist Judith Nabakooba said the suspects committed the offences variously on FM radio talk-shows and at public rallies in different parts of the country. They have committed several offences for which they have to answer, Ms Nabakooba said yesterday. We have also arrested them to help police in its investigations.Mr Mayiga and Ms Nambooze were arrested on Friday night, while Mr Lubega was picked up earlier in the day. The three officials were still in police custody at the time of going to press yesterday.Ms Nambooze, picked at Spear Motors on her way home to Mukono after attending the first Buganda Conference at Africana Hotel in Kampala, is being held at Jinja Road Police Station. Mr Mayiga, arrested from his Ekitoobero Restaurant on Nakasero Road at about 11 p.m., is in custody at Kira Police Station; while Mr Lubega, picked up along Johnson Street, is being held at Central Police Station.Ms Nabakooba said the arrested officials repeatedly said on FM radio stations that if the Land Bill passes, they will burn properties of non-Baganda. This amounts to promoting terrorism,she said.Mengo and the central government are currently embroiled in a bitter row over the proposed amendments contained in the Bill. Mengo argues that amendments to the 1998 Land Act are not only unnecessary because the present laws are enough but they are meant to allow outsiders grab kingdom land. But the government counters that the reforms seek to curtail the rampant illegal land evictions of tenants. Asked why police did not issue arrest warrants, Ms Nabakooba said: Issuing warrant of arrest is not a must. Sometimes police can choose to arrest suspects for investigations without alerting.Buganda Katikkiro J.B. Walusimbi criticised the arrests saying the reasons are unclear. I don't know why government is arresting the kingdom officials over unclear reasons, he said. This is unfortunate.Speaking at the Buganda Conference following Mr Lubega's arrest, Kabaka Mutebi said: I am sad that one of us is not here. Let us find ways of getting him out.The Kabaka spoke flanked by Buganda Attorney General Apollo Makubuya, whom unconfirmed reports said had since gone into hiding for fear of arrest. The arrested officials will appear in court tomorrow.On Thursday, Daily Monitor reported that the state had completed investigations with the intention of arresting and prosecuting a number of radio presenters, politicians, and journalists for sedition and related offences.The government has particularly been rattled by utterances made on a number of radio stations, especially the Mengo-owned CBS FM, in opposition to the Land Bill.These young men and woman were using brains to convince the public [of their view point],said DP's Ssebaana. If the government cannot convince Ugandans with its poor policies, let it resign.FDC President Kizza Besigye warned police chief Kale Kayihura against ordering unnecessary arrests.The IGP should stop being excited with his job, Dr Besigye said. Commenting earlier on Friday on Mr Lubega's arrest, Maj. Gen. Kayihura said that the arrest was not any special and that his officers would not yield to intimidation.Who is Mr Lubega? If it was anywhere in our Constitution that there is a specific group of people who can't be arrested and he is part of that group, you would say we were wrong to arrest him, Maj. Gen. Kayihura said, adding: If generals can be arrested and taken to court, why not Lubega? Who is he?Early this year, Police questioned several Mengo officials for allegedly inciting violence. The latest arrests come days after President Museveni complained that his government's enemies were using CBS radio to peddle lies about the land amendments.
The Commonwealth Countries League works for rights and interests of women in the Commonwealthby providing a platform
to exchange knowledge on issues relating to families women and girls
to lobby the relevant authorities on those issues
to focus on friendship and networking between Commonwealth women
to facilitate the co-operation between Commonwealth women’s organisations through its affiliates
to raise funds for the education of girls throughout the Commonwealth
to keep in touch with them after schooling through the Alumnae Association
CCL EDUCATION FUNDM I S S I O N
To sponsor girls of ability through secondary school where, without assistance, they would be unable or unlikely to continue
To give them a sense of their own value and worth
To enable them to act as ambassadors for female education within their own communities
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Fund are to advance education and in furtherance of these objects the Trustees may:
(a) sponsor the secondary education of capable Commonwealth girls in their own country, subject to annual assessment.
The money granted may be used towards the costs of school and examination fees where applicable, transportation, school meals, uniform, books and other incidental expenses.
(b) pay for the special training in their own country of capable Commonwealth girls of secondary school age with physical disabilities.
(c) administer special funds for tertiary education.
